Kung Fu Panda 4: Gauntlet of Criminals (SEQUEL TO SAGE'S SIEGE)
by jweaks2016
Summary: The grandmaster of China's criminals is revealed and gathers his crooks, preparing to take China by storm. Where his students, Tai Lung, Shen, and Sage, had lost, he WILL win. The heroes of the Valley of Peace will have to go into the Gauntlet of Criminals to stop him, and Kiro must choose sides: Stay with the Five, or join the criminal scum where he feels his talents are wanted.
1. Loss of An Ally

**Hey guys! It's me again! Since my previous story, Kung Fu Panda 3: Sage's Siege, was such a big success, I have decided to make a sequel to it. I know that some if not most sequels are pretty bad, but I assure you that this one will be almost if not the same style of writing that I used in the previous story. If you haven't read my previous story, GO READ IT NOW. If you don't and read the story anyway, you might be a bit lost in some parts. Remember to leave a review with your thoughts! Enjoy the first chapter of Kung Fu Panda 4: Gauntlet of Criminals.**

A large dragon snapped his eyes open.

He looked around the dark cavern at his fellow minions, all busy doing their tasks. Only a handful of torches illuminated the area, making it tough to see if one wasn't used to this surrounding.

"S—Sir?" One of his henchmen asked nervously.

"What is it?" He growled in a deep, thundering tone.

The rat looked up at his master.

The dragon was at least eight feet tall, all grey, had massive wings, sharp claws, razor teeth, and eyes the color of fire.

"We just…um…received word th—that Warlord Sage has been defeated." The rodent sputtered.

"WHAT?" The dragon yelled, shaking the whole cave. "BY WHO?"

The minion flinched and stumbled back. "By the…Dragon Warrior and… the Furious Five…"

"Again…?" The dragon said, sitting back down. "That is the third of my best warriors that they have defeated. I'm tired of their meddling and thrashing of my plans. Set Operation Thunderbird into motion. Also, call my secret advisor. I have issues that I wish to discuss with him…"

"Yes, Grandmaster Feng. Right away!" The rat said, scurrying off.

"Where my students have failed me, I will triumph." The grandmaster murmured.

*Four years later*

"Welcome, students. Today's sparring matches will be as followed: Tigress vs. Crane, Po vs. Monkey, and Mantis vs. Viper" Master Shifu said.

"And…?" Kiro said.

"The winner of the match between Tigress and Crane will face Kiro." Shifu said.

"That's right!" Kiro said excitedly.

"Be careful with my guy." Viper whispered to Tigress as she walked out to face Crane.

"No promises." Came the reply.

"READY!" Shifu yelled.

The two warriors got into their fighting stances.

"BEGIN!"

Tigress lunged at Crane with surprising speed.

"Yipe!" Crane whispered.

Crane moved his wings with equal speed, blocking her savage attacks. He spun around, whacking Tigress in the face with his talons, sending her flying across the mat.

"This is getting gooooood." Po said.

"Go Crane!" Viper cheered.

"Come on, Ti! Cat's prey on birds like him!" Kiro jeered.

"Hey!" Crane said, turning to Kiro.

"No offense!" Kiro replied, putting his paws in the air.

Tigress lunged at Crane's feet, but the bird flipped over her and summoned a ball of air and smashing it into the tiger.

Tigress flew across the room and smacked into the palace wall.

"TIME!" Shifu yelled. "Crane wins!"

"Yeah!"

"Whooooo!"

"Good job, Crane!" Viper yelled.

"Nice job, but I was off my game." Tigress said.

"You're never off your game, though." Crane replied.

"This time I was." She said, smiling.

"Uh huh. I get to face Kiro now!" Crane said triumphantly.

Once Tigress and Crane got off the mat, Viper and Mantis hopped up onto the platform.

Viper grinned, looking at Mantis.

"Don't eat me!" He said.

"No promises…" Came the reply.

"Master!" Mantis yelled, "She's not allowed to eat me right?"

"BEGIN!" Master Shifu yelled.

"RIGHT? MASTER?" Mantis shouted.

Viper slithered toward Mantis and flipped him in the air. She came down upon the bug with lightening speed and flung him to the mat. She picked up the dazed Mantis with her tail and held him in front of her. She smiled and whipped him into the air and batted him down. The bug crashed to the mast and got up, swaying from side to side.

She opened her jaws and lunged at Mantis, but stopped before he fell into her mouth.

"Huuuu…" Mantis mumbled before he passed out on the mat.

Everyone in the room roared with laughter after witnessing Mantis' reaction. Even Master Shifu chuckled a little.

"Viper," Shifu snickered, "Would you please take Mantis off of the mat when you come down."

"Sure!" Viper said.

Once they were off the mat, Po and Monkey climbed on.

"Promise not to use your belly this time?" Monkey asked.

"Sure thing, buddy." Po responded.

"BEGIN!" The red panda yelled.

Monkey leaped at Po, arms raised and ready to grab the panda, but Po grabbed Monkey's arms and threw him to the ground. The primate barrel rolled to his left and jumped on the back of the panda head and started beating him on the back and head. The Dragon Warrior grabbed the chimp and flipped him over. Monkey landed n his feet and turned to face his comrade again. He lunged at Po with his arms outstretched, but the panda grabbed Monkey, whirled him around and threw him to the mat.

Then, Po sat on him.

The master of monkey style's eyes popped, as he gasped for air.

Monkey tapped the mat three times, signaling that he was defeated.

Po got off of his breathless friend.

"That…is…not…f…air!" He gasped.

"Hey, I didn't use my stomach, like you asked." Po said.

"Bu… oh…never…min…d." Monkey said, taking in big gulps of air.

"Finally, Kiro vs. Crane!" Master Shifu announced.

"REMATCH BABY!" Kiro yelled.

"You're going down, again." Crane jeered.

"As I recall, the first and last time that we ever fought, it came out as a tie." Kiro responded.

Kiro took out his Di staffs and spun them around, sending red sparks everywhere.

"Kiro, I have allowed you to train with your staffs, but you may NOT use them when sparring. One must learn how to defend themselves without the use of weapons." Master Shifu said.

"Bu…wha…HUH?" Kiro sputtered.

"Hand 'em over!" Tigress called.

Kiro tossed his staffs off of the platform.

"This'll be over quickly." Crane said.

"I bet…" Kiro muttered to himself. "Don't be so sure!" He called out.

"BEGIN!" Shifu yelled.

Crane summoned a gust of wind, sending the white tiger flying into a wooden beam.

"ARRGH! AUGH! Geez, Crane! At least give me a chance to charge!" Kiro called.

"SORRY!" Came the reply.

"Let's see how you like being sent into a beam." Kiro whispered.

The tiger lunged at Crane, grabbing the bird's feet, and slamming him into a similar beam that Kiro had hit.

"How do you like it?" Kiro said, smiling sinisterly.

The tiger threw Crane into the air, but the bird regained his focus and spun around, creating a small whirlwind around him.

"Oh that is SO not f—AAAAAAHHHHHH!" Kiro shouted as he was spun around and thrown to the ground, getting the air knocked out of him.

Crane landed on the defeated Kiro in his fighting stance.

"YEAH CRANE!"

"AWESOME!"

"NICE JOB!"

"Good… umph…fight… man…" Kiro mumbled.

*A few hours later*

Kiro sat on the rooftop of the Jade Palace, looking out over the valley.

_I got whipped today! Shifu's right, I do rely on these staffs too much, but these are the only things that I have ever fought with! They had never left my side in a fight! Crane made me look like a fool! Without my staffs, I'm powerless…_

"Hey." A voice said.

Kiro turned to see Viper slithering up to him.

"Hey. What's going on?" Kiro said, disinterested in anything that she had to say.

He just wanted to be left alone.

"Not much. You've been up here for a while now. Sorry for the way Crane acted today. He normally isn't that competitive." Viper said, a little worried.

"No! It's fine! He opened my eyes today! I'm useless without my staffs! And…" Kiro's voice trailed off, trying to decide if he should say what he was going to say.

"And…?" Viper asked.

Kiro stared out at the slowly setting sun, thinking about what had happened today and if he was truly wanted here anymore. Was he really welcome here? He didn't think so. To him, he was the outcast of the group. Someone who would never fit it. The white tiger had already made up his mind.

"And I don't belong here anymore. I'm not good enough to be in the Jade Palace. I'm going to train in the village from now on. I can't leave here due to the Emperor's orders. That, and it would also break Song's heart." Kiro explained.

"Kiro, you're great! You're better than most of us here! You—"

"I AM BETTER BECAUSE OF THESE!" Kiro roared, gripping his staffs.

Viper slithered back, frightened.

She had never seen him like this before.

"Here," the white tiger said, tossing his Di staffs to Viper, "I don't want these anymore. Tell the other's I said 'bye', and that 'I'm sorry that it didn't work out.'"

Kiro leaped off of the roof and ran out of the palace area, leaving his things, his former master, and his friends, behind.

**That's the end of the first chapter! Hope you liked it! What do YOU think will become of Kiro? What do you think will happen next? Most of all, what do you think of the story so far? Leave a review with your thoughts! Always appreciated! I will try to get the second chapter up ASAP. More to come…**


	2. The Beast Inside

**Hey guys, just letting you know that I won't be posting as often as I did with my first story because I wrote most of that over winter break. This story I am writing after school, so it will take longer to post. Hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Here's chapter two!**

Viper slithered back into the Jade Palace, shocked and upset.

The others were laughing and telling stories as they ate their dinner.

"Oh! Hey Vi! Wh—"

Crane cut himself off when he saw her pained expression.

"Vi," Crane said as he rushed over to her, "What's wrong? What happened?"

Everyone grew quiet as they looked at her with worry.

"Kiro…" Viper whispered, holding up his staffs with her tail. "He said… that he wasn't…good enough for the Jade Palace…he just…left…"

"What?" Tigress said, astonished at what she had just heard.

"Not coming back… train in the village from now on… can't leave the valley…due to the Emperor's orders…" Viper said quietly, on the verge of tears.

She had just seen one of the people that she had come to know as a brother abandon his home and his family.

"I'm going to talk to him." Tigress said sternly, with a hint of anger in her voice.

With that, Tigress stood up and walked out of the palace.

*In the village, at night*

Tigress walked down another dark alley, in hopes of finding her friend.

"You will find me if I want you too, but I don't. I just need to be alone right now." Tigress heard Kiro's voice echo off of the walls.

"Kiro, I just want to talk to you. Please come back to the palace. With more training, you won't need your staffs anymore. So if—"

Tigress was cut off by Kiro's rage infused voice.

"I AM PERFECTLY CAPABLE OF DEFENDING PEOPLE WITH MY STAFFS! IF PEOPLE WON'T RESPECT MY TALENTS AS A HERO, THEN MAYBE THE WILL FEAR THEM AS A CRIMINAL!"

"Kiro, don't say that! We're your family! You don—"

Tigress was cut off again.

"MY FAMILY? YOU DON'T DECIDE WHO MY FAMILY IS! MY FAMILY DIED IN A FIRE! YOU GUYS WERE NEVER MY FAMILY! I WAS NEVER WELCOMED THERE!"

Tigress stood in the middle of the alley, mortified at what Kiro had said.

This was not the Kiro that she knew.

This was something else.

Something dark.

Sinister.

Evil.

"Leave Tigress. Don't bother me again, or else you will regret it." Kiro said, calming down.

Tigress couldn't control herself anymore. Rage spilled into her veins and fury mixed inside of her.

"SHOW YOURSELF, YOU COWARD!" She yelled.

Silence.

"SHOW ME THAT YOU CAN FIGHT WITHOUT YOUR STAFFS!" She screamed.

Silence.

"I'M SORRY THAT I EVER CARED ABOUT YOU! I SHOULDNT'VE LOOKED THROUGH THE WRECKAGE OF YOUR HOUSE TRYING TO FIND YOU! I SHOULD HAVE GIVEN UP AND LEFT YOU THERE WITH YOUR PARENTS!" Tigress shouted.

Silence.

Then, a dark figure appeared on a rooftop above Tigress.

"What…did…you…just…SAY?" Kiro roared.

Tigress turned to face him, ready to fight.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" Kiro yelled as he lunged at Tigress from above.

The tigers were engaged in a fury induced battle.

Kiro moved with a new kind of strength and speed, blocking Tigress' every move.

Kiro sent slammed his fists into Tigress' chest and stomach fifteen times. He jumped into the air, grabbed Tigress' arms, slammed her into the two walls on either side of him and tossed her to the ground. She slowly stood up, pain rocketing through her body.

"RAH!" Kiro shouted as he slammed his fists into Tigress' chest and face.

Tigress stumbled back, her vision was blurring and she was swaying from side to side.

Kiro lunged at her, kicking her in the head four times, sending Tigress crumpling to the ground.

Kiro drew his emergency dagger from his leg and held back, preparing to deliver the final blow.

"Kiro…" Tigress whispered, about to pass out.

Kiro was about to end the master when he suddenly became aware of his surroundings. He looked at Tigress, who was passed out now, and he looked at the blade in his hand.

"I…no… I… wasn't… I…" Kiro stammered, dropping the blade and cradling his unconscious friend.

*Ten minutes later*

Kiro reached the top of the steps of the Jade Palace, carrying Tigress, who was still out cold.

He gently placed her in front of the door and dug into his pocket, pulling out the note that he had written.

He pulled out his emergency dagger and stabbed the letter at the top, pinning it to the Jade Palace door.

He knocked on the door and ran into some bushes to see their reaction.

_I'm a monster…I can't be trusted…They'll hunt me down now… They'll throw me in jail…I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…What have I become?_

*With the Five (minus Tigress) and Po*

Everyone heard a knock at the door.

"That must be Tigress. She's probably back with Kiro!" Monkey said, moving towards the door.

_I hope…_ Viper thought.

Monkey opened the door and howled in anguish.

The others rushed over to see Tigress, battered, bruised, and unconscious, lying at their feet.

"Get her to the palace's clinic! Now!" Crane said to Viper and Monkey.

"Ti! Come on Ti! You're gonna be okay! It's gonna be fine! We're here to take care of you! Doctor Po is here to have you all fixed up!" Po laughed nervously as he jogged alongside Viper and Monkey, who were carrying their limp friend.

"Look, Mantis, a note on the door!" Crane said.

It read: My dearest friends, I am sorry for what I have done to our comrade. I have no place in the Jade Palace anymore. I have become something that I swore many years ago that I would never become. I cannot return here anymore. Please, I don't ask for your forgiveness, because I don't deserve it. I don't ask for your understanding, because even I don't understand what I have become. I just ask, that you keep me in your memories as I once was. Please don't let your last memory of me be this. Please tell Tigress that she was the closest thing to a sister that I had ever had, Po that he was like a brother to me, and Master Shifu that he was like my second father. I wish you all the best of luck. Your former friend, Kiro Takimuro

"He's…gone." Mantis said.

*With Grandmaster Feng*

"What is it, messenger?" Feng boomed.

"We have just received word that Kiro Takimuro, one of the warriors of the Valley of Peace, has just, well, snapped! He ran away from the palace and beat one of his friends, Tigress, unconscious!" The rodent stated.

"Interesting…Very interesting… Good work, messenger. Let's see if we can't arrange a little meeting with Kiro, hm?" Feng said.

"As you wish, sir." The rat said before he scurried off.

"This just keeps getting better and better." The grandmaster said to himself.


	3. Manhunt

**Heyo! How's it going guys? Just thought that I'd write chapter 3 to this little sequel of mine. How do you like it so far? Where do you think that Kiro will go now? Read on and find out for yourself! I now present, chapter 3…**

*A few days later, with Tigress*

Tigress slowly opened her eyes and scanned the room.

She was in the palace clinic, that was for sure. Potions and containers of medicine and herbs lined the shelves and walls. She saw that the room was darkened slightly and she saw Po, who was asleep in a chair a few feet over. His snoring shook the room.

_It's a wonder how I didn't wake up sooner. Nobody can sleep through that!_ Tigress thought.

She tried to roll over, but pain shot up through her body, making her regret her decision to move.

_What time is it? What DAY is it? How long have I been out?_

Tigress looked outside and saw that the sun was low in the sky, but still bright and shining. She concluded that it was about midday.

She forced herself up, clenching her teeth and fighting off the pain. The injured master tried to get off of the bed, but her legs were too weak and she crashed to the ground.

Po's eyes snapped open and once he saw the collapsed Tigress, he rushed to her side.

"Ti! You're awake! Are you okay?" Po asked worriedly.

"What was that racket?" Shifu exclaimed angrily, walking through the door. "Oh, Tigress, you're awake. Good." He calmed down and turned to Po and said, "Po, will you go get some Jung-Si-Un tea for her? It should take all of the pain away."

"Right away, Master." The panda said before running off.

The floor shook with every step he took, which made Shifu wobble a little.

"I trust that you know what had happened." The master said, getting more serious as he stepped closer to Tigress, who was sitting on the ground..

"Most of it. The last thing that I remember is Kiro holding me in one hand and his knife in the other. After that, I blacked out." Tigress said, recalling what had happened.

"Someone, presumably Kiro, carried you up the steps of the Jade Palace, set you in front of the door, nailed this note to it…" Shifu paused as he gave Tigress the letter, "…and then knocked on the door and ran off."

Tigress read the letter and then crumpled it up.

"I'm afraid that he is too dangerous to be left alone in the valley. He is now a threat. We must detain him. I know this will be hard for you and the team, but he is NOT to be trusted anymore." The red panda said, starting to get angry again.

Tigress sighed and stared at the wall.

"I know what we must do. I just can't believe that it has come to this." She muttered.

"Very well, once you drink the tea that I hope Po is getting for you, gather the team and begin your hunt." Shifu said, exiting the room.

*A few hours later*

"Alright. Kiro is considered very dangerous and is not to be shown mercy. We will have to split up among the valley so we can find him faster. Once you find him, yell for the others, and we'll come running. Everyone understand?" Tigress said, laying out the battle plan.

Everyone agreed, but Po shifted nervously from side to side.

"Po?" Tigress said sternly.

"Y-Yeah. I understand. Can do!" He laughed nervously.

"Let's go."

*With Po*

Everyone spread out throughout the valley, beginning their hunt for Kiro.

Po jogged down an alleyway, which was dark and littered with trash and smelly dumpsters. He was nervous about what he was going to do if he did meet his old friend.

Po searched several more buildings and alleys, similar to the one that he searched first, but all of them turned up nothing.

"Heh. What're the chances of me running into him anyways? I mean, one of the Five will probably find him." Po said to himself as he walked down a dark pathway between two buildings.

"I would like to think not." Kiro said, emerging from the shadows.

All of the sudden, Po shrank back to a cub again.

"K-K-Kiro, y-you're coming w-with m-m-m-me." Po stammered.

"Listen, Po. The reason I showed myself to you is because I know that you realize that this isn't the real me. I have never acted like this before. One stupid move that I've made and my friends are out to arrest me, my girlfriend doesn't want anything to do with me, and my life has shattered in a matter of days!" Kiro explained.

"I know that this isn't the real you, Kiro, but I still have to follow my orders." Po responded.

Kiro scoffed. "Since when do you follow orders? Think with your heart, Po, not your brain!"

Po now had a decision to make: arrest his friend and send him to jail, or let him go and disobey Master Shifu.

*With Crane*

_I think that I'll take a look from the skies._ Crane thought.

He soared up into the air and looked down at his comrades below.

_There's Monkey, and Tigress, and Viper. Mantis is too small to see. There's Po with Kiro… wait, what? KIRO!_

Crane hollered from the skies and dove down to help Po.

*With Kiro*

Po and him looked up into the night sky when they heard a holler.

"What was that?" Kiro asked.

Po's eyes widened and his mouth opened a little, knowing what that meant.

"Oh no. Please tell me that— OOF!"

Kiro was cut off when Crane grabbed him by the shirt with his talons and slammed him up against the brick wall behind him.

"RAH! ARGH! AUGH! Crane! AH! Was that necessary?" Kiro asked.

"You abandoned us and almost killed Tigress. I would say that that was VERY necessary." Crane said with a look of malice painted on his face.

The others appeared on the rooftops and behind Po.

"Good work Po!" Tigress said as she walked up to her former ally.

She placed handcuffs on his wrists and tightened them to an uncomfortable size.

"Excuse me, but I think these cuffs are a bit small for me. Do you have a size larger?" Kiro joked.

Tigress slammed her fist into his face.

"OW! SORRY!" Kiro yelled painfully.

Viper slithered up to Kiro and looked him in the eye. "And to think that I considered you a brother."

"Ya know, I would've surrendered anyway once you guys had found me. I think the tight handcuffs and the punches and the insults and all of that were a bit much." Kiro stated.

"Come on. Let's take his carcass to jail." Tigress spat.

*An hour later*

"Alright! Everything is in order! He won't be getting out of here any time soon!" The warden said as he set the prisoner papers to the side of his desk.

"I hope he NEVER gets out." Monkey replied.

Kiro looked at them through the bars and smiled as they walked out the door.

"Tell Song I said 'hi!'" He called out.

Po turned and looked at his friend again. He mouthed the word 'sorry' to Kiro before walking out with them.

The door closed behind them, sealing the warden in with Kiro.

"We considered you a hero, you know." The warden said to his prisoner.

"Nobody saw me as a hero. They only saw me as an outcast. Someone who would never fit in. Now, I'm a bit hungry. So tell me warden, are the meals any good here?" Kiro responded.

The warden only shook his head and turned back to his work.

Kiro lied down on his back on the wooden bench in his cell, and closed his eyes.

*Around midnight*

A loud boom exploded the front of the prison walls , sending brick and debris everywhere as Dowdi and Temothai charged in.

Dowdi was a short, fat pig who was for some reason bent on destroying the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior. He was sort of an evil scientist, being that he always created massive machines and contraptions that he used to attack the valley.

Temothai was a large, muscular, rage filled ox who was determined to take over the Valley of Peace with his small ox army. The Five and Po would always stop him of course, but Temothai would usually get captured.

One thing that Dowdi had that Temothai didn't, was a brain. The ox was strong physically, but when it came to mental strength, he got the short end of that stick.

Somehow, though, the criminals always got out of the prisons rather quickly without a violent escape.

Now, the unlikely pair had teamed up and on a mission: to break Kiro Takimuro out of prison.

Temothai slammed the warden into the wall, knocking him out.

"How can this be called a prison? Where are all of the other guards?" Dowdi wondered out loud.

"It is night time. They must be home or other places. Stupid move, leaving jail unguarded." The ox replied.

"What do you crooks want?" Kiro snarled.

"You're the one calling us crooks? You almost killed the leader of the Furious Five! You're just as guilty as we are!" Dowdi explained.

Kiro's face dropped and he looked down at the ground.

"No matter, our employer wants a word with you." The pig went on.

Kiro looked up again and he got ready to fight. "Suppose I don't go with you?"

"Then I'd use this!" The boar said, pulling out a long, metal tube.

He blew through one end and a dart shot out the other end, pricking Kiro in the neck.

"Ow! What the heck waaaa—" Kiro trailed off as he collapsed to the ground unconscious.

"KNOCK OUT DART!" Dowdi yelled.

"Come on, boar, let's get his body out of here and into wagon before Five and panda show up!" Temothai urged.

They opened the cell, tossed Kiro's body into the back of the wagon, and rode off into the night, leaving the prison in ruins and smoke billowing out of the front.

**There it is! Chapter 3! Hope you all enjoyed it! Leave a review if you liked the chapter. Always appreciated! Be sure to stay posted for more coming your way!**


	4. At the Enemy's Mercy

**Hey guys! Time for another chapter! If anybody is wondering where these characters in this story are coming from, most of them are coming from the Legends of Awesomeness TV show that used to be on. The grandmaster, Sage, and Kiro I had just made up for the sake of a fresh story line. Hope you all are enjoying it so far! Here's chapter four…**

Po snapped his eyes open.

_What was that?_

Apparently, everyone else had heard the sound, too, because they all rushed outside of the palace to see what it was.

"So, I assume everyone else heard that?" Mantis asked.

"Hard to miss it, bro." Monkey replied.

They rushed down to the valley, dodging through the crowd of villagers that gathered the scene, and approached the site where smoke was spilling out.

"The jail…" Crane said to himself.

"Kiro." Tigress narrowed her eyes. "He must have broken out."

They went inside the partially destroyed prison and found Kiro's cell smashed open and the warden slowly getting up off of the ground.

"Did you see where Kiro went?" Viper asked the warden.

"No! A fat pig came in with a huge ox and they knocked me out! I assume they took him!" The warden replied.

"Dowdi and Temothai. That sounds like them. Why would they team up, though? And why would they want Kiro?" Po asked.

"Sounds like a kidnapping to me." Viper added.

"Oh well. Good riddance. At least he's out of our hair." Tigress said, turning to leave.

"Tigress! Remember what Kiro wrote? He wants us to remember him like he was! We have to save him! It's the right thing to do!" Po retorted.

"Po, face it. Kiro's a lost cause and there's nothing that we can do for him now. The side of him that we once knew is gone. We have a big day of training tomorrow, so let's just go back to sleep." Crane replied.

The Five turned and headed back to the Jade Palace.

_I'm starting to see why Kiro left us. With friends like that, who needs enemies? I can't believe that their giving up on him! Well, I won't._ Po thought.

"Do you have something that I can write with?" Po asked, turning back to the warden.

*Fifteen minutes later*

Po nailed a letter to the inside of the Jade Palace door, explaining that he wasn't going to give up on his friend and that he was going out to find him.

The panda lugged himself back down the massive number of stairs.

"Man…I…wish…that Kiro…was…here to…make a…firework cart…" Po huffed.

Once Po had made it to the bottom of the steps and rested on a nearby bench, he walked back to the jail and looked for clues.

After a while of finding nothing, Po began to get frustrated.

"Oh come on! There isn't ONE clue? Seriously? This is pointless!"

Po flopped down on the ground in exasperation, but noticed something next to him.

"Hello? What do we have here?"

Po studied the strange wagon marks closely.

_Weird. The tracks are very light all the way up to the jail, but then get deeper like something heavy was loaded onto…_

Po perked up and jumped in the air.

"GENIUS PO STRIKES AGAIN!" He yelled.

"Keep it down out there!" Someone yelled.

"Yeah! Some of us are trying to sleep!" Another shouted.

Po blushed with embarrassment and decided that if he followed the wagon trails, that it would lead him to Kiro.

He started on his way.

*With Kiro*

Feng's minions gathered around the unconscious Kiro, who was chained to two wooden beams in an X formation.

"Wake him up." Feng ordered.

One poked him with a metal pole.

"But Mom," Kiro mumbled, "I don't wanna go to school. The kids there are mean…"

The dragon smirked, amused at the tiger's remark.

The grandmaster nodded at another minion, and the worker poked Kiro with a searing hot metal rod.

"AAAAHHHH! HOT! HOT! VERY HOT! YAH! I'M AWAKE! YOW!" Kiro yelled.

"Enjoy your nap, tiger?" The grandmaster said.

"Oh, so you're the big boss, huh? What's the idea of dragging me here anyway? Right now, I could be—"

Kiro was cut off by the dragon, who stood in front of him.

"You could be rotting in a cell right now. Really, you had nothing better to do, did you? Besides, from what I had heard, you seemed pretty lonely once you had attacked your comrade. Turning your friends against you, making your girlfriend hate you…Oh! Speaking of which…"

Feng motioned to the slowly opening door.

Temothai and another minion pulled in an unconscious Song, who was chained to a platform just like Kiro's.

"SONG! I SWEAR, IF YOU'VE HURT HER, THAT'LL BE THE LAST THING THAT YOU'LL EVER DO!" Kiro threatened.

"I haven't hurt her…yet. If you don't cooperate with my demands, then she will be. I don't think that you would want that, now would you?" The dragon chuckled.

"Fine, what do you want?" Came the response.

"Good! First, my name is Grandmaster Feng. I control all of the criminals in all of China, including a very important and corrupt government official. The Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior have defeated three of my best students so far, being Tai Lung—"

"Wait, Tai Lung was your student? How?" Kiro cut in.

"Who do you think kept training him after Oogway turned him down? Tai Lung abandoned the Jade Palace for a while, like you, and sought out me for more training. Shen was my next warrior. Oh, he was a charming individual, but he couldn't change his fate. He only sealed it, and that's what lead to his downfall. Who do you think supplied him with the idea for a doomsday machine? How did he get his army? Me, of course. Finally, Sage. I'm sure that you saw his talent for kung-fu. Who do you think supplied him with his army?"

Kiro just hung there with his mouth open, not knowing what to say.

"Me. That's who. Now Kiro, after three failed attampts at taking all of China and demolishing the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior, I am ready to do this myself. Sage was the closest one to reaching my goal, but sadly, he failed…"

The dragon glared at Kiro with his fiery eyes.

"…thanks to you, the fat panda, and the Furious Five."

"That still doesn't explain why you brought me here." Kiro retorted.

"Ah, yes." Feng said, interlocking his claws. "I want you to join our side. I know how well you fight, and I think that you would be my greatest student."

"You're insane. You've gone completely nuts if you think that I'd join you." Kiro snarled.

"First off, where would you go? You're a wanted fugitive, Kiro Takimuro. Second, if you don't do as I command, then your girl Song over there goes for a swim in some magma." The dragon hissed.

"What do you mean?" Kiro said, thrashing to break free of his chains.

"We are underground! We have a nice big pit of lava that we found down here a while back. Choose wisely, Kiro, or else your friend here goes for a dip." The grandmaster jeered.

Kiro now had a choice: refuse the Feng's offer, which would in turn kill Song and more than likely, himself, or he could accept Feng's proposal and save Song.

_I know what I have to do._ Kiro thought.


	5. A Friend Becomes a Foe

**Hey guys, what is up? Hope that you all are liking my story so far! Just thought that I'd let you guys know that this will be the last MAJOR story I do involving Po, Shifu, Furious Five, Kiro, etc. (HINT HINT). Anyway, here's a random disclaimer: I do not own Kung Fu Panda, the characters, the stories, etc. Anyway, a wild chapter five appears! Read on!**

*With Po, morning*

The panda was trecking through a large field. The sun peaked over the hills, shining upon the long blades of grass and purple flowers that swayed in the breeze.

"Gotta keep moving. This panda ain't quitting yet. Hey, what's this?"

Po bent down and picked up a tattered brown letter on the ground.

It read: Dowdi and Temothai, I am sending you on a very important mission to capture and bring back Kiro Takimuro. He is located in the prison in the Valley of Peace. Once you have him, bring him back to the underground located in Die Ki Mountains for your reward. I wish you luck. Grandmaster Feng.

"Well, that was helpful. At least I know where I can find him."

"Don't you mean 'we'?" A voice from behind Po said.

Po whirled around to see Tigress and the Five walking towards him.

"What? I thought that you guys didn't care about Kiro!" Po exclaimed.

"We didn't, but you did. We realized that you were right, Po. Kiro was once a part of us, and we can't give up on him that easily. Besides, Song seems to have vanished as well. We're searching for her, too." Viper explained.

"So where are we going?" Crane asked.

"Die Ki Mountains." Po responded.

"Great. Can't any of these journeys be short? Why can't one by like a mile hike and we're there! Die Ki Mountains is a two day journey! We have to cross through the Ka Desert to get there!" Monkey complained.

"We better get going then." Tigress said as she walked ahead of the group.

*Two days later*

After traveling through the desert with its monstrous sand dunes and blazing heat and hiking through some muddy plains, the Five and Po finally reached Die Ki Mountains. The mountains ranged anywhere from a drop down a couple of inches to a 50 foot drop. Rockslides were common in this area, so the heroes had to be careful when traveling through here.

"Great. How are we going to find this underground hideout?" Mantis said.

"I'll lead you to it." A voice from above said.

They all looked around, confused about who had said that.

A figure in a black cape and hood jumped off of a mountain ledge and landed in front of them, causing everyone to jump.

The figure pushed back his cloak, revealing Kiro's Di staffs.

"Kiro?" Po said.

"In the flesh!" Kiro responded, pushing his hood back.

"Buddy!" Po said, running up to the white tiger and giving him a bear hug.

"Really? I…never fig…ured out…why I am…always ge…tting…crushed!" Kiro gasped.

Po let go of him and took a step back.

"Hey, guys." Kiro said with a sheepish smile.

The Five looked back at him with smiling faces.

"Good to see you again, man." Mantis said.

"Yeah, sorry about what I said back in the alley." Viper apologized.

"Me too." Crane added.

"After what you did to me, I still think you deserved that punch in the face." Tigress said, grinning.

"I'll grant you that, but I'm really sorry about this…" Kiro said.

"About what?" Tigress said, narrowing her eyes.

"THIS!" Someone yelled.

Dowdi, Temothai, the Croc bandits, and other criminals appeared seemingly out of the shadows and off of the mountain sides, seemingly out of nowhere.

The Wu sisters emerged from their hiding spots and stood in front of the group. All three of them were maniacally smiling.

"YOU? WE LOCKED YOU UP!" Po yelled.

"We got a pass for good behavior!" Wan laughed.

"Kiro, HOW COULD YOU?" Tigress shouted.

"I'll tell you later. I have a good reason for what I did. You all would have done the same thing." Kiro said apologetically.

Everyone, including Po, stared daggers at him as they were chained and escorted into the cavern. After many twists and turns through the dark tunnels, they reached the main room underground, where a massive dragon awaited.

"Hello, Five and Dragon Warrior. Nice to finally meet you." Feng grinned. "Good work, Kiro. Your girl will be able to walk out of here alive now."

"Thank you, sir." Kiro bowed.

_That's why he did this? To save Song? Now I know why he betrayed us. It was either us or her! We have a better chance of making it out of here than Song also!_ Everyone thought.

"Now, allow me to introduce myself…" The grey dragon began.

Feng told them about himself, his past students, and what he planned to do next. Almost the exact same thing that he told Kiro when they first met.

"Ah, but first, I would like you all to meet my dear friend, who is a corrupt government official…" Feng said, gesturing to another cloaked figure.

_Wait, what?_ Everyone, including Kiro, thought.

The serpent flipped back his grey and red hood and smiled.

Kiro took a few steps back in shock and the Five and Po gasped at who was before them.

"Hello Po, Furious Five, and Kiro. It's so nice to see you again." The Emperor hissed.

**Dat plot twist ending though! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I'll try to add another tomorrow! Leave a review with your thoughts on the story! Signing off for now!**


	6. Fire and Brimstone

**Hey guys! Just letting you know that this might NOT be the last major story that I do with Po, Five, Kiro, etc. (assuming that they make it out of this one alive). Just thought that I'd put that out there. Here's chapter six…**

"YOU? I PROTECTED YOU! I STUCK MY NECK OUT FOR YOU!" Kiro yelled.

"Yes, you did. I'm very pleased that you did so. Keeping me alive has helped our cause greatly." The Emperor hissed.

"Why?" Tigress snarled.

"Why? Dear Tigress, don't you see? The war on crime has already been lost! If you don't choose the winning side soon, you'll be caught in the cross fire!" The snake responded. "I consider Grandmaster Feng here a great friend of mine. Only a few know of my actual take on this matter."

"Do you have a problem with our acquaintance, Kiro?" The dragon said, looking at the still knocked out Song.

Kiro hesitated, realizing his place in all of this. "No master, anything to get rid of the Five…" Kiro looked over at the group with malice, "…and the fat panda."

The hostages were shocked. _He's still furious at us?_

"I'm happy to be in a place where my services and skills are wanted." The white tiger added.

"Excellent! Now, prove it!" Feng exclaimed.

Kiro blinked twice in confusion. "Prove it?"

"Yes! I want you to kill…hm…the snake!" Feng commented.

"WHAT?" The Emperor yelled, getting ready to dash for the exit.

"NOT YOU, IDIOT! THE OTHER SNAKE!" The dragon roared.

"Oh…" The serpent whispered, coiling back down into a ball.

Kiro fidgeted in place.

_He doesn't want to do it._ Po thought. _There's still good in him!_

"Do it, Kiro. Now's your chance to demolish the Five! Make them four!" The Emperor jeered.

Kiro slowly walked over to Viper, who was shaking and had tears streaming down her face.

"K-Kiro…Pl-please…" She sobbed.

The tiger's knees started shaking.

"Come forward." He said solemnly, looking down at the floor.

"Vi…No…" Crane choked, eyes watering.

Viper slithered slowly up to Kiro, who stood mere feet from Feng and the Emperor.

Kiro drew his knife from his leg and held it in his hand, which was shaking also.

"Don't do it, Kiro!" Po called out.

"SILENCE HIM!" Feng roared.

One of the guards clubbed Po over the head with the butt of his sword, sending the panda falling to the ground.

Kiro brought the knife to Viper's throat and leaned close to her ear.

"I'm so sorry. I tried not to get you guys involved in this. Do you trust me?" He whispered.

"What?" She choked back.

"You all may be masters of your own styles, but I'm the master of being reckless." He whispered back.

Viper's eyes widened.

Kiro lowered the knife from Viper's throat and leaped into the air and landed behind the Emperor, bringing the knife to his neck.

"How important is he to you?" Kiro demanded.

"Not as important as she is to you." The dragon nodded over to Song. "DROP HER IN THE LAVA!"

Song, who was still knocked out, was hanging by her feet over a pool of magma at least fifty feet wide. The rope that kept her from plummeting downward was cut, and she started to drop.

"SONG!" Kiro yelled.

He dropped his knife and ran towards her. The tiger jumped into the air and grabbed the rope, flinging her to the side to safety.

Kiro, however, didn't make it to the ledge all the way. He grabbed the side of the pit with one hand, dangling above his certain death.

Feng roared with laughter. "No choice comes without consequences! Hoon Doon, take him out!"

A giant rhino with a broken horn marched up to the dangling tiger.

Hoon Doon was a soldier from the Imperial Army who had gone rogue and tried to destroy the Valley of Peace, but had failed. Multiple times even. He was known for his broken horn on the front of his face, of which he interchanged between a regular replacement and a piece with a sword attached to it. The rhino was also known for his redundancy.

"Now, you will die a fatal death in the fires and lava with magma! Goodbye and farewell, tiger!"

The rhino raised his foot and stomped on Kiro's hand.

"ARGH!"

Another stomp.

"AAHH!"

Stomp.

"RAH!"

Stomp.

"AUGH!"

Finally, Hoon Doon grew impatient and jumped into the air, and came down on Kiro's hand with both feet.

"GAH! NO!" Kiro shouted in pain as he lost his grip on the ledge and plummeted down to the lava below.

_Think fast, Kiro! Don't get burned!_

The tiger whipped out his Di staffs and tapped them together once, creating a sled beneath his feet and splashed down on the lava, surfing around the pit.

A few bits of magma got onto him, burning his skin and catching his fur on fire.

"AH! HOT! YAH! AUGH!"

Kiro summoned two ropes from his staffs and latched them onto some stalagmites on the ceiling of the cave. He pulled himself out of the lava and landed in front of his shocked friends and enemies.

By now, almost a third of him was on fire, but Kiro blocked out the pain with great mental strength.

"Man, I'm on fire today!" He laughed. "So, who wants to get burned?"

**That's the end of this chapter! Hope you guys liked it! I'll see if I can get another posted later tonight, but no promises! Leave a review with what you thought. Come on, a review means a lot to an author, so why not take a minute to write one? See you guys very soon! More to come…**


	7. Pulled Back into Darkness

**Sup guys? Thought that I'd write another chapter! What do you guys think of it so far? What do you think will happen to Kiro? Has he changed? Guess you'll have to keep reading to find out! Here's the next chapter…**

"Uh, Kiro?" Po said.

"Yeah, Po?" Came the reply.

"You're on fire."

"So I am." Kiro said.

He summoned a sheet of water above him that splashed down, dousing the flames.

"Ah, that's better." Kiro remarked.

"You're burned, badly!" Mantis said.

"Eh, it's just a flesh wound!" Kiro shrugged it off.

"KILL HIM!" The Emperor shouted.

Guards and soldiers swarmed towards the tiger, who was clutching his staffs.

Kiro put the two ends of his staffs together and lengthened them to their full length. He spun his weapon around, slamming the electric ends into his foes and sending them crumpling to the ground.

The white tiger then ran to the chained Five and broke their handcuffs.

"RUN! GET OUT, NOW! I'LL GET PO AND CATCH UP LATER!" He shouted as enemies continued to swarm him.

"Hey buddy? A little help!" Po called out.

The Five ran out of the throne room and followed the path out that they had been taken in.

"Hold on, P—ffff! AUGH!" Kiro sputtered as he got a swift punch to the stomach by Su Wu.

"A valiant effort, tiger, but you're no match for all of us." She cackled.

"Chain him and bring him before me!" Feng boomed.

Everyone did as they were told, and soon Kiro was kneeling before the grandmaster in handcuffs.

"Quite an impressive show that you put on there, but fruitless never less. You're loyalty to me is displeasing. Obviously I will have to result to…harsher terms to keep you on my side."

The dragon motioned for one of his servants and the rat brought him a vile with brown liquid inside.

"Please tell me that's not what I think it is…" Kiro said.

"If you think that it's a Qu-Za loyalty potion, you are correct!" The grandmaster cheered.

"Oh, good. It wasn't what I thought." Kiro sighed.

"You're devotion belongs to us. After drinking this, you will never sway to their side again." The Emperor hissed.

"No! Kiro!" Po called out.

Wan Wu marched over to the white tiger and forced the liquid down his throat.

"Gah! That tastes horrible! Could I have some tea to wash out this taste?" Kiro spat.

"It is only a matter of minutes now before you join our team forever." Feng boomed.

Kiro's burned and scarred face scanned the room, looking at the criminals around him.

"It's too bad about your face; you were actually really cute." Wing Wu said.

"Well, that sucks then, doesn't it? Besides, I have a girlfriend." Kiro snarled. "I don't feel any different. Maybe it's not working."

"Oh, it's working. What do you feel like doing now?" The serpent beside Feng asked.

"I feel like…beating you all into a pulp?" Kiro said, smiling.

"Wrong answer. Try again." Feng said.

"Fine. I feel…" Kiro's voice trailed off as thoughts of conquering China, destroying the Five and Dragon Warrior, and obeying Feng flooded his mind. "…like serving my true master and ruling these pathetic people in this country,"

Po's eyes widened. _No… He's fallen into their grasp!_

"GOOD!" Feng laughed.

"Release him!" The Emperor ordered.

Kiro's chains were taken off of him and he walked over to the mortified panda.

"Sorry, panda, but the Emperor was right. We have lost the war on crime! Too bad that you were just caught in the cross fire."

*With the Five*

Tigress and the others burst out of the cavern and ran for the hills. They stopped when they were a good mile away from the enemy fortress.

"He…saved…us…again!" Mantis huffed.

"But…Po…is…still in there!" Monkey gasped.

Tigress stood up, having already caught her breath. "We can't just march back down there and save them, so we need a more tactical approach."

"Like what?" Viper asked.

"We need to wait until dark, then we make our move to rescue them." Came the reply.

"We don't know when Feng is gonna make his move! It could be tomorrow for all we know!" Crane said worriedly.

"We have to take that risk. There's nothing more that we can do." Tigress stated.

"Well, better get cozy everyone, because we're gonna be here for a little while." Viper remarked.

*With Po*

_Kiro's turned! He's not going to be the same every again!_

"I have a bone to pick with you, panda!" Su Wu spat as she marched up to the cuffed Po.

"Why?" He stated, hiding his nervousness, "Is it because I kicked your kitty butt last time?"

Su hissed and swiped her claws across Po's shoulder, not breaking the skin, but shredding the fur in that spot.

"Grandmaster," Su purred, turning to Feng, "I would like to smash this panda to pieces."

"I will grant you that wish, Wu, but only on one condition. You are not to kill him." Feng boomed.

"Aw, you take the fun out of everything! Deal!"

Po was unchained and pushed forward.

The guards and criminals made a circle around the two warriors, blocking any escape for both of them.

Kiro stood at the side of Feng, grinning at the scene before him.

"This time, panda, you die!" Su snarled.


	8. Under Fire

**Hey guys, what is up? Just letting you guys know, this story that I'm telling is mainly Kiro's fight, not Po's. So there will more than likely be one more major story dealing with the heroes (assuming they survive) after this one. Also, just because that this story is mainly Kiro's struggle, that doesn't mean that it won't affect the other heroes. Enough babbling! Here's the next chapter! Enjoy…**

*With the Five, at night*

"Alright. Now's our time to strike." Tigress said, getting up.

"Finally! I've been so bored!" Monkey groaned.

The Five packed up what they had laid out previously and crept back down into the cavern.

"Where are we going? We don't know where they could be!" Crane whispered.

"Quiet! I think I hear voices this way." Tigress said, pointing to their left.

They followed the voices and peered out of the tunnel that was well above ground.

"Is that Po?" Viper asked.

"With Su Wu. It looks like their having a showdown." Tigress muttered.

"Well, come on! Let's go save him!" Mantis said, about to hop down and fight the thugs.

"No!" Viper whispered, holding the bug back. "We'll wait and see how this goes. If things get out of hand, then we'll strike."

*With Po*

"You had made a fool of me once, Dragon Warrior, but history will NOT repeat itself!" Su stated.

"What would you say to calling this whole thing off and you and I go have some nice warm milk and play with some string, hm?" Po asked hopefully.

"YOU DARE INSULT ME? RAH!"

Su barreled towards Po and slammed her fists into his stomach and chest, sending the panda tumbling backward and falling on his back.

Po slowly got up and looked at Su. "So I take it that's a no, huh?"

"KYAH!" Su yelled as she lunged towards the panda, giving him a stinging uppercut to his chin and knocking his feet out from under him.

She pulled his hands back behind his back and kneeled on him.

"Give up?" She asked sweetly.

"I can't see you! Are you over here…?" Po rolled over to his left, flattening Su, who was underneath him. "No. Maybe over here…" Po rolled the other way, crushing Su on the other side.

Po got up and looked at the beaten Su.

"What a pathetic way to win a fight! Have you no honor?" She spat.

"A criminal is talking to ME about honor? Wow. Didn't see that coming." Po said stalely.

"Everyone! Beat this panda down until he is NOTHING!" Su called.

The circle around them started to move inward.

_Oh no. This is not good. My awesomeness can't take on all of these guys! Unless…_

Po looked over at Kiro, who was holding his staffs in his hands.

"And the good ideas just keep coming…" Po said to himself.

The panda picked up Su Wu, who was originally on the ground, and threw her at Kiro.

The Wu sister slammed into the white tiger, causing him to drop his staffs.

Po dashed for the staffs, leaping over the enemies that stood in his way.

Once he picked up Kiro's weapon, though, Grandmaster Feng landed in front of Po.

"What do you think you're going to do with those?" The dragon smiled sinisterly.

"Oh, just make this fight between you and I a little more fair." Came the reply.

Po tapped Kiro's staffs together three times and touched the tips to his chest. He was instantly immersed within his red dragon outline again.

"Aw, crud." Kiro muttered.

"LLLLLLET'S GET READY TO RUMBLLLLLLLLLLE!" Po cried out.

The Dragon Warrior and the master of China's criminals collided.

Dragon vs. dragon.

*With Five*

The Five looked on with shock as they saw Po become engulfed yet again within the dragon outline.

"I wanna do that!" Monkey whined.

"Now's our chance. ATTACK!" Tigress cried out as they jumped down onto the battle ground.

The Five ran into the mess of guards, punching and kicking their way through the maze.

"I believe that we have some unfinished business to attend to, wouldn't you say?" Kiro said smugly, stepping towards Tigress.

"Kiro, what has gotten into you? Why do you keep changing sides?"

"QU-CA POTION. KA-FU? SOME POTION THAT THEY PUT INTO HIM, TURNING HIM EVIL FOREVER!" Po shouted down to Tigress as he fended off Feng's attacks.

"What?" Tigress turned to Kiro. "You're with them, forever?"

"Until the end. Speaking of which this is your end." Kiro replied, pulling out his dagger.

"I don't wanna fight you Kiro!" Tigress called.

"That's too bad, because if you don't, your death will be quick and no fun." He shot back.

Kiro charged toward the orange tiger and knocked her legs out from under her. Tigress crashed to the ground, but immediately grabbed Kiro's legs and pulled them out also, sending him falling to the floor. Both of them got up and faced each other. Kiro took a swipe at Tigress with his knife, but missed. The master continued to dodge his attacks with his blade, but was kicked in the chest, sending her staggering backward. Kiro pounced at her, sending a hard kick to her chest, then pinning her on the ground.

"Kiro, stop!" Tigress pleaded.

The white tiger raised his knife in the air. It gleamed off of the torches in the room.

"Sharp, isn't it?" He said, smiling devilishly.

He adjusted it in his hand and got ready to bring his dagger down on Tigress.

**CLIFF HANGER! BOOM! Leave a review if you enjoyed this chapter! Just letting you guys know, I will try to post around 9 or 10 during the week, but on weekends, basically any time is fair game. For those of you who haven't left a review yet, why not? I have seen so many people viewing this story, and a small amount of reviews. Take a moment and write your thoughts please. It means a lot. I might write the next chapter tonight! More to come…**


	9. The Fight from Within

**Sup Guys? Thought that I'd write this chapter. Not much to say, so I'll just get on with the story! Enjoy…**

"Kiro, wait! I know what it feels like to be an outcast! To be considered a monster! That doesn't mean that you have to act like one! I know that somewhere inside of you, there is the white tiger that I used to know!" Tigress said.

Kiro's expression of hate didn't change, but his hand was shaking. Almost as if the evil side of him wanted to bring the dagger down upon her, but the side of him that used to be there, the good one, was holding him back.

*20 minutes earlier, inside Kiro's subconscious*

"Where the heck am I?" Kiro wondered out loud.

"We are in your subconscious, Kiro. I'm controlling your mind and actions right now…" Tai Lung said, walking up to his former apprentice.

"You? How? The Dragon Warrior defeated you! You were obliterated!" Kiro retorted.

"Maybe in physical form I was, but there has always been a mental part of me that has harbored in you. That potion that you drank, released me completely from the mental prison that you kept me in. Sure, I tried to escape, which might have caused you to abandon your friends or beat up the orange tiger, but you always pushed me back, keeping me in my cell." Tai Lung explained.

"So, you're controlling me right now?" Kiro asked.

"That's right, and your friend, the panda, is about to throw down with Su Wu. Oh, I can't wait to see how this turns out!"

"So, you can see what I see, hear what I hear, and control my every movement?" Kiro said, still coming to terms with the situation.

"Again, yes." Came the reply. "Shoot! He just beat Su Wu! Ah, but he'll be demolished now! All of the criminals are going to crush him."

_No, Po!_ Kiro thought.

"Yes, Po!" Tai Lung replied, turning to Kiro.

"How did you know what I was thinking?" Kiro snarled.

"We're in your mind, dear boy. If you think in your own mind, I can hear it!" The snow leopard replied.

He turned back to look at the image in front of him and saw Su Wu hurtling towards him. "Uh oh."

The Wu sister crashed into Kiro, sending him tumbling backward.

"AAAAHHHH!" Both Kiro and Tai Lung shouted in pain, falling to the ground.

_I can feel pain! I can feel pain even when I'm in my mind! Does that mean Tai Lung can feel what I feel, too?_

"I guess it does, my former apprentice." The leopard said, standing up. "Oh, look the Five! There's Tigress now!"

Tai Lung cleared his throat and spoke to the image. "I believe that we have some unfinished business to attend to, wouldn't you say?"

"Kiro, what has gotten into you? Why do you keep changing sides?" Kiro heard Tigress reply.

"You can even control what I say? Oh, come on!" Kiro whined.

Tai Lung smirked at the white tiger's remark.

"QU-CA POTION. KA-FU? SOME POTION THAT THEY PUT INTO HIM, TURNING HIM EVIL FOREVER!" Kiro heard Po shout down to Tigress as he fended off Feng's attacks.

"What?" Tigress turned to Kiro. "You're with them, forever?"

"Until the end. Speaking of which this is your end." Tai Lung replied.

A dagger formed in the snow leopard's hand.

"I don't wanna fight you Kiro!" Tigress called.

"That's too bad, because if you don't, your death will be quick and no fun." Tai Lung shot back.

The villain in front of Kiro charged toward the image of Tigress, and Kiro's body followed with what Tai Lung did.

The snow leopard unleashed a series of attacks on the master, eventually pinning her to the ground.

"Kiro, stop!" Tigress pleaded.

Tai Lung raised his dagger in the air. "Sharp, isn't it?"

"Kiro, wait! I know what it feels like to be an outcast! To be considered a monster! That doesn't mean that you have to act like one! I know that somewhere inside of you, there is the white tiger that I used to know!" Kiro heard Tigress say.

"NO! YOU. WILL. NOT. HURT. MY. FRIEND!" Kiro shouted.

He ran towards Tai Lung and used one hand to grip the knife and the other to fend off Tai Lung's attacks.

The master and apprentice were engaged in a battle that would determine if Tigress lived or died.

*With Po*

Po was having a hard time fighting Feng, due to his inexperience with his dragon form. Feng, however, knew how to fight using his tail, claws, and the ability to blow fire out of his mouth.

Soon, the Dragon Warrior slammed into the ground and his red outline fizzled away, leaving the beaten panda holding Kiro's staffs.

Crane, Viper, Monkey, and Mantis were eventually swarmed over by their enemies, were chained again, and brought before the Emperor and the dragon.

Tigress, however, saw Kiro struggling with his knife and decided not to take any changes. She rolled out from under Kiro and kicked him, sending the white tiger flying into a stone wall.

The Wu sisters saw Tigress escape from Kiro and they lunged for her. They bombarded her with kicks and punches, sending Tigress crumpling to the ground. She too, was put in cuffs and brought over with the others.

*In Kiro's mind*

The snow leopard sent a devastating kick to Kiro's jaw, which shot Kiro across the stone floor which kept them from plummeting down into the white tiger's subconscious.

"Now that we're finished, I see that your friends have lost and are captured again!" Tai Lung stated.

"Well at least Tigress is safe." Kiro muttered.

"Not for long! Look" Tai Lung cheered.

Kiro watched in horror as he saw five more of the potions that Feng made him drink be brought out.

"Now," he heard Feng say, "All of you, except for the Dragon Warrior, will join your friend Kiro in eternal commitment to our cause."

"BUT I DON'T LIKE YOUR CUASE! I NEVER WANTED TO BE APART OF IT!" Kiro shouted.

"They can't hear you." Tai Lung said, turning to Kiro. "They will only hear what I say to them."

Kiro dropped to his knees in defeat as he could do nothing but watch his friends be forced to drink the same potion that put him in his situation now…

**BOOM! Yet another cliff hanger! Will the Five be able to resist the potions effects? Will Kiro ever regain control of his body? All of these answers and more in these next five chapters that I will be writing throughout the week. LEAVE A REVIEW WITH YOUR THOUGHTS! More to come…**


	10. A Light in the Darkness

**Thanks for all of the reviews so far! Also, thanks for viewing my story! This is the fifth day in a row that we have gotten over 100 views! I say 'we' because you guys have had a bigger role in these numbers than I've had! Without you guys, I wouldn't be writing these stories! Enough mushy gushy stuff! NEW CHAPTER TIME!**

*With Po*

"Po," Tigress said, turning to the panda after the Five had been forced to swallow the concoction, "I just want you to know that whatever we say or whatever we do, that it's not us. Please remember that."

"It's been nice knowing ya, buddy." Crane said.

"It's been an honor, Po." Viper added solemnly.

"I'm proud to have fought by your side." Monkey put in.

"Po, you were a great friend." Mantis said.

"I love you, Po." Tigress added.

Po's eyes watered as he took one last look at his true friends, who were staring back at him with equally sad expressions.

Just then, Tigress blinked a couple of times and doubled over, then slowly raised her head back up, grinning maniacally.

Tigress was gone.

Monkey and Viper did the same thing, and looked at each other with evil in their eyes.

Monkey and Viper were gone.

Mantis had the same reaction and looked at Feng. "May I have my chains taken off me, Master?"

"One moment, my student." The dragon replied, grinning at the scene before him.

Crane looked at the Dragon Warrior with wide eyes, knowing that he would be transformed soon.

"You're going to be just like us now, honey." Viper whispered to the fear stricken bird.

Crane continued to stare at the panda with frightened eyes, then, he started to turn.

The last of the Five jerked his head back and his body shook violently. Suddenly, the avian was calm. He lowered his head and looked at Po with the same face that the others had: power-lust and hate.

"Take off their chains! They belong to me now!" Feng boomed.

Guards walked over and unchained the Five.

"Throw this panda in my dungeon for now. I will figure out what to do with him later." The dragon commanded.

Tigress and Monkey walked over and grabbed Po with amazing strength.

"Ow, guys, that hurts!" Po complained.

"Good." Tigress said, tightening her grip.

They carried the panda to his cell and tossed him in.

"And to think that I ever loved a fat slob like yourself." Tigress spat before returning to the throne room.

_Ti didn't mean that. That's just the potion talking. It's not her. It's not her…_ Po thought.

"H-hi! W-what are you d-d-doing here?" The Dragon Warrior heard a voice say across from his cell.

*In Kiro's subconscious*

Kiro had just attempted something that some might consider stupid, reckless, or impossible: summoning an object within his mind. However, reckless wasn't something new to the white tiger.

It had worked, though, and Kiro was holding his familiar Di staffs again.

"I'm taking back my body!" Kiro snarled, looking at Tai Lung.

"Good luck!" Came the reply.

Kiro charged the snow leopard with all of his speed. The criminal couldn't raise his hands to block the attack in time, so when Kiro whirled his staffs around and bombarded him with a series of blows, all Tai Lung could do was take them one by one. Pain shot through both of them, since Kiro was beating up part of himself. Kiro elongated his staffs and sent beam after beam of electricity barreling towards the snow leopard. Kiro's former master stumbled back, then charged. Kiro combined his staffs together and brought one end down upon his enemies head, sending him falling to the ground. Tai Lung slowly got up, but Kiro smacked his foe in the jaw with the other end of his weapon, sending the snow leopard flying into the air. Kiro broke apart his staffs and summoned some chains that shot up and wrapped around Tai Lung's arms, and then the white tiger pulled downward, sending the snow leopard plummeting to the ground.

"I'll take my body back now, if you don't mind." Kiro sneered.

He summoned a cage around his enemy, but he knew that it wouldn't hold him for long.

Kiro stepped up to the image of the new Five, the Emperor, and Feng.

He could feel himself gain control of his body again.

*With Feng*

The Five were lined up before him, awaiting his command.

"I want the five of you to go out and get the ingridients for making lots of the Qu-Za potion. I want that dumped into the main water rivers for all of the major cities! Soon, every big city will make me ruler! After that, we send in our army of crooks and criminals to take out the smaller villages! Move out!" Feng ordered.

The Furious Five started to leave, but Monkey turned back and looked at his new master.

"Lord Feng, would it be alright if I were able to buy some almond cookies? I love those!" Monkey asked.

"No! You have a job to do! Go!" Feng boomed.

"But master, they are so good!" Monkey begged.

The Emperor leaned over to the dragon. "This one is an idiot." He whispered.

"He's not the only one. There's a guy right next to me who is worse." Feng mumbled back.

The Emperor nodded in agreement and then realized the shot was targeted at him. He turned and hissed at the dragon.

"Fine. Go and get your cookies, just don't fail me!" Feng ordered.

Monkey happily ran out to join his comrades.

*With Kiro*

Kiro looked up at his 'master'.

_I can't believe that I have to go along with this and not beat him into the ground._

"Master, I'm famished. I ask to go to the kitchen to prepare some food and eat it in my chambers."

Feng looked down at his student and smiled. "Of course, Kiro. You've done everything that I've asked so far and I have nothing more for you to do. You are excused until further notice."

Kiro simply nodded and walked away.

The white tiger looked around and made sure no one was looking before opening the door that led to the dungeon. The ingredients for a cure to that sickening potion that he was forced to drink was down with the panda.

Kiro crept down the stairs and saw Po talking with a female cricket.

_She must have gotten too close to this place and got captured._ He thought.

"No talking to the other prisoner!" Kiro snapped.

Po jumped a little and glared at Kiro. "What're you gonna do to stop me?"

"Quiet panda, I'm just messing with ya." Kiro said as he snuck over to Po's cell. "I've been able to hold off the dark part of me that the potion had released for now, but I'm looking for a cure."

Po's eyes widened. "You can do that? So that means that the others can do that too?"

"I assume so." Kiro replied, shrugging his shoulders.

"Cool! Wait, how do I know that you're not tricking me?" Po whispered.

"Dude, if you challenged the darker part of me a few minutes ago, you would've been toast." Came the reply.

"Oh, carry on!" Po said.

Kiro got up and walked over to a book laying on the potion table.

"The Big Book of Potions: Every Bad Potion and How to Use It. Cures Inside." Kiro read.

_How convenient._

He opened the book and found the items he needed for the cure.

Everything that he needed was there on the table.

"Guess this is my lucky day…" Kiro muttered.

He mixed the items together in the correct order and held the yellow liquid up to get a better look at it.

"Man, can't any of these concoctions look tasty?" The white tiger complained. "Well, bottoms up!"

He raised the tube up to his mouth and downed the potion.

*Inside Kiro's mind*

"Ah, well that tasted better than it looked!" Kiro said happily.

He turned to see Tai Lung slowly fading away.

"You may have put me back in my cell, but I will always be a part of you Kiro! ALWAYS!" The snow leopard yelled before disappearing completely.

*With Po*

"Did it work?" Po asked excitedly.

"Yep. That part of me is not coming back. Ever." Kiro replied. "I still, however, have to act like I'm still with them, so Po, I'm sorry but I can't let you out of here yet. Later, I'll be back down here making more of those potions. Maybe it'll bring back your friends."

"Awesome! When?" The panda whispered.

"Tonight hopefully!" The white tiger answered.

"Kiro? Are you down there?" The Emperor called.

"Yes, I am Your Highness. I came down to see if the prisoner had been trying to escape. Can't take any chances with him being the Dragon Warrior!" Kiro answered.

"No, we can't. Grandmaster Feng wouldn't be pleased. Come with me. Your girl Song is awake and wishes to speak with you privately." The serpent replied wearily.

"Yes, sir." Kiro said as he started to follow the Emperor up the steps.

Kiro turned and winked at Po before continuing up the steps.

_There is a glimmer of hope now. All we have to do is follow that sliver of light._ The Dragon Warrior thought.

*With Kiro*

Kiro poked his head through the door and looked at the distraught Song.

He walked in and shut the door behind him.

"Hello, beautiful."

Song looked up and ran over to Kiro, giving him a big hug.

"Kiro, where are we? Who are these people? Why am I here? I-I-I don't know what is going on!" She stammered.

Kiro and Song sat down on an iron bench and Kiro explained everything. From being captured to the Qu-Za potion to the cure, everything was revealed to her.

"When are we going to get out of here?" She asked worriedly.

"Soon, I promise. For right now though, they still think that I'm with them, so I need you to call me REALLY hurtful names on my way out. When the time comes, I'll need your help fighting off the goons, and you'll know when that time is, but for now, just roll with everything." Kiro responded.

Song nodded her head, signaling that she understood.

*With Feng*

Kiro heard the crashing of pottery in the room Song was kept in.

He looked over and saw Kiro exiting the room.

"YOU HEARTLESS JERK! MORON! I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT I'D EVER LOVED YOU!" She screamed.

"What did you say to her that made her so mad?" The dragon chuckled.

"I just explained to her our plan. She's not going anywhere right?" Kiro responded.

"Correct. Guards!" The Grandmaster called.

His guards ran up to him, ready for their orders.

"Notify everyone not to go into our guests room for a while. They could get hurt!" Feng said.

He looked at Kiro again and laughed.

*With Kiro*

_Yeah, just keep laughing ya big oaf, because soon, your plan is gonna crumble, and it'll be ME who is laughing._ The white tiger thought.

**Wow! A huge chapter! I'm tired now, so I'm just gonna sign off here. Leave a review if you enjoyed the story! Thanks again for all the views and reviews guys! I'll post again very soon. Bye everyone!**


	11. Cured

*With Po, ten minutes before his discussion with Kiro*

"H-hi! W-what are you d-d-doing here?" The Dragon Warrior heard a nervous voice say across from his cell.

Po looked up and saw a female cricket in a small metal cage across from him. The small prison cell was sitting on top of a small wooden table.

"Hey. I got captured by the dragon up there." Po replied, nodding to the steps leading up to the throne room. "He made my friends drink some formula and now they've turned against me. I don't know if I'll ever be able to get them back to the way that they were."

"I got captured, too! I was just passing through these mountains on my way to see my friend in a city not far from here, when these crocodiles came out of nowhere, grabbed me, and threw me down here!" The bug explained.

_The croc bandits._

"Hi, I'm Po. What's your name?"

"Po, huh? My name is Hira. It must be difficult to share the same name with the legendary Dragon Warrior."

Po looked down at the floor and they sat in silence for a couple of minutes. "Yeah, it is pretty tough."

"No talking to the other prisoner!" Kiro snapped.

Po jumped a little, not realizing that the white tiger had been standing there. "What're you gonna do to stop me?"

"Quiet panda, I'm just messing with ya." Kiro said as he snuck over to Po's cell. "I've been able to hold off the dark part of me that the potion had released for now, but I'm looking for a cure."

Po's eyes widened and hope started to grow inside of him. "You can do that? So that means that the others can do that too?"

"I assume so." Kiro replied, shrugging his shoulders.

"Cool! Wait, how do I know that you're not tricking me?" Po whispered.

"Dude, if you challenged the darker part of me a few minutes ago, you would've been toast." Came the reply.

"Oh, carry on!" Po said.

Kiro got up and walked over to a book lying on the potion table.

_This is GREAT! If Kiro can find a cure, then that means that I can bring Ti and the others back! We still have a chance!_

"The Big Book of Potions: Every Bad Potion and How to Use It. Cures Inside." Po heard the tiger read.

*With Kiro, a few days later*

The Five had just returned from their journey with tons of items for the massive amounts of Qu-Za potion that had to be made. For one potion, one would need to get: five bamboo leaves, eight drops of derived juice from a peach, one jar of ginger, and three drops of iodine.

"Excellent!" Feng boomed. "We will start the preparations of the Qu-Za in the morning! For now, get some rest, warriors. You've had a long journey!"

The Five nodded and walked to their separate chambers.

"Master Feng, if I may, I would like to bring each of them a drink for their excellent work and contribution to our cause." Kiro commented, looking up at the dragon.

"An excellent idea! Without them, this would've taken much longer than needed. Wish granted! You're dismissed!" The grandmaster boomed.

"Thank you, sir."

Kiro walked off and quietly went down into the dungeon and mixed together five more cures on the potion table.

"Now?" Po asked, practically sticking his head through the bars.

"Now's the time, Dragon Warrior. I'll slip these into each of their drinks, and they will be cured of the potion!" Kiro said, over his shoulder.

"Sweet! I can't wait to see Ti again!" Po said excitedly.

Kiro shoved the vials of liquid into his pockets and walked up the stairs and into the kitchen. He had never been in this part of the cavern before, so it took him a little while to find everything he needed to make the drinks. He whipped up some fresh cider and poured the yellow liquid in each one.

"What is that you're making?" The Emperor hissed as he slithered in.

"Some fresh cider for our warriors who had just come back from their journey, Your Highness." Kiro replied.

"Ah. I see. And, what was that you poured into the drinks?"

_Uh oh. Bad. Bad situation._

"Just an old family recipe, sir. I learned it from my mother. It adds a certain sweet yet mildly sour kick to it. I think that they'll like it." Kiro lied.

"Sounds wonderful. I don't like any sour in my drinks, though. So when you're done bringing the Five their beverages, I would like just a plain cup of cider." The serpent said.

"Of course, Your Highness." Kio nodded.

The snake slithered out of the room, and Kiro quietly blew out a sigh of relief.

_Man, that was close. I hate lying, but I'm just so good at it. Guess that's one tool that's not always bad to have._

Kiro exited the kitchen and entered Tigress' room first.

"Greetings, Kiro. What brings you here?" Tigress asked.

She was resting on her bed when the white tiger walked in. Her mattress was queen sized and the covers were made from the softest, finest material in all of China. Kiro was a little surprised that Feng had obtained such an item.

"I just wanted to bring you a drink! The grandmaster and I are very pleased with your work. I'm also glad that you've seen our side of things." Kiro replied, smiling evilly.

"That's very kind of you," Tigress said, taking the cup, "However I feel that you're here for something else."

"Em, pardon?" Kiro said, confused.

Tigress took a big drink of out of her wooden cup and got up and walked over to Kiro.

"I think that you're here to ask me something." Tigress purred.

"I…am?" Kiro sputtered.

_I don't like where this is going. Po is gonna be mad if this goes where I think it's going…_

Tigress lengthened her claw on her index finger and put in on Kiro's chin. "Yes… I think you're here because you want to date me."

_AAAAHHHH! THIS IS GOING WHERE I THINK IT'S GOING! Don't blow your cover. I don't like how this is gonna go, but if I have to in order to keep Po and I safe, I will…_

"Y-yep. T-t-that's the reason. You're not gonna kill me, are you?" Kiro lied, stuttering nervously.

Tigress smiled and brought her claw down. "No, I'm not. I'm going to accept your offer. I've always had a bit of a crush on you. I could never get over your handsome face, fighting style, and your gift for being reckless…"

Kiro gulped. _So now I'm dating two girls at once! AAAAHHHH! I like Song, though! I can't wait for this potion to kick in! Bring back the Ti that I know!_

"Well, ya know…" Tigress whispered, leaning up to his ear. "…I can be reckless, too."

"I wouldn't doubt it…" Kiro murmured.

Tigress pulled away and started to lean in to kiss Kiro on the lips, and just when she was about to, she blinked twice and a tremor went through her body.

Tigress was back.

She looked at the sweating Kiro and realized what she was about to do and stumbled back, embarrassed.

"Not… a… word." She threatened.

Kiro nodded his head vigorously, then slumped to the floor in exhaustion.

_Oh, that was close. That situation was NOT gentle with my little heart._

"You brought me back. How?" Tigress asked.

Kiro explained the cure, how he slipped it into her drink, and how Po was locked in the dungeon.

"You can't rescue him yet. I have to get the others to drink the cure also. For now, I need you to act as though you're still under their control." Kiro finished.

Tigress nodded her head.

Kiro stood up and picked up the other drinks and walked over to the door.

"Ya know, Ti, I never knew that you felt that way about me before." Kiro said, smiling.

Tigress slammed her fist into his shoulder, making the white tiger wince in pain.

"Like I said, not a word." She said, baring her teeth.

"Yep! You got it! Bye!" Kiro said, hurrying out of her room.

He went to the others rooms after that, having a similar encounter with Viper that he had with Tigress. Except with Viper, she coiled around him and actually DID kiss him, but then snapped back to her old self and made almost the same threat that Tigress made.

Once Kiro had made his rounds and delivered the cider to the Emperor, he went down into the prison and met with Po.

"Hey, buddy! How did it go?" Po asked excitedly.

"The girls are gonna have a few issues with me for a little bit, but other than that, everyone is back to normal." Kiro reported.

"What kind of iss…ooooohhhhh!" Po gawked as he saw lipstick on Kiro's mouth and cheek. "Did Tigr—"

"No, panda, she didn't." Kiro cut him off. "She almost did, but the potion kicked in before she could. Viper however…"

"Dude! Hahahahaha!" Po cackled.

"I'm going back upstairs." Kiro snarled, rolling his eyes.

He walked back to the throne room, but was called over by Feng.

"I see that our guests enjoyed their drinks! Especially the women, I would say!" The dragon said before roaring in laughter.

Kiro smiled and chuckled along with his enemy.

_Man I hate you..._

Little did he know that Song was peering out of her room, hearing the dragon's remark.

"That little cheating jerk…"

Kiro looked over and saw Song with a look of malice painted on her face before shutting the door.

_Aw, fudge…_ He thought.

*With the Emperor*

_You think that you could keep your little secret from me? I know that you've turned, you little cretin. I know that you've turned the Five back to their original selves. You're lucky that I need them for my plan. Once they've taken down the dragon, I WILL BE THE RULER OF CHINA'S CRIMINALS!_ The serpent thought with a devilish grin on his face.

**There it is! Sorry for not much fighting in this chapter, but it will be coming soon! I promise! Leave your review of the chapter and I'll be writing more very soon. More to come…**


	12. Death of a Friend

*With Song*

Once Song saw her supposed boyfriend covered in lipstick from the other two girls, she ran over to her bed and buried her head in her pillow and began to cry.

She heard the door open and immediately knew who it was.

"Hey, Song." Kiro said gently as he walked into her room.

"Go…away…" She sobbed through her pillow.

"Listen, Song. I can explain…"

"NO, KIRO!" Song screamed, looking up at her boyfriend with tears running down her face.

"Song! Hey! Listen to me! When I went to give Ti and Vi their cures, their darker parts tried to make a move on me! I didn't want to blow my cover, so I just stood there until the anti-potion kicked in! I didn't do anything else, and the girls immediately regretted what they did afterwards! That's it! Nothing else!" Kiro explained.

Song looked at the distraught white tiger with watery eyes.

"Song, I only have eyes for you, and I'm sorry that I got you into this mess. I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I don't think that I could've prevented it anyway…"

Kiro ran his hands across his head and pushed his feline ears back.

"I forgive you Kiro… I understand." Song finally spoke.

"Kiro!" The Emperor called from outside of the door. "Lord Feng wants to see you. He told me to tell you to bring your girl with you."

*With Kiro*

The dragon saw Kiro and Song walk out from Song's room.

"Ah, Kiro. I'm glad that you came so quickly! Be honest with me, boy, is this girl the only thing that is important to you aside from our cause?"

Kiro looked at Song with a little worry. "Yes sir, why?"

"You'll see. Girl, please walk over to that wall over there," Feng said, pointing to a stone wall to his right, "I want to show Kiro something."

Song walked over to the wall as she was instructed and stood there, a little uneasy about the dragon's intentions.

The grandmaster nodded and five guards with crossbows marched over and lined up in front of her.

"Sir, what're you doing?" Kiro asked worriedly.

"Helping you focus on your only importance. GUARDS! READY YOUR WEAPONS!" Feng boomed.

"YOU CAN'T DO THIS!" Kiro shouted.

"MIND YOUR PLACE, BOY, OR ELSE THE PANDA IS NEXT!" Feng yelled

"Kiro…!" Song called out with sorrow in her voice.

"AIM!" Feng shouted.

The guards raised their weapons and took aim at the shaking Lady of the Shade.

Kiro sprinted across the room toward his girlfriend at an amazing speed, shoving crooks and leaping over anything that stood in his way.

"FIRE!" The dragon commanded.

The soldiers pulled the trigger, and sent the arrows flying towards Song.

Song gasped as the arrows hit her and crumpled to the ground.

Kiro threw the guards that shot Song out of the way with amazing strength and rushed towards his dying girlfriend.

"Kiro…I'm sorry…that I couldn't be there…all the way for…you." Song said between gasps for air.

"No, Song. You're gonna be fine. It's fine! You're all good! You're gonna walk out of here alive and we're gonna go back to the valley and…and we're going to be just fine. We'll be fine!" Kiro said, tears streaming down his face.

"No…Kiro…I'm not gonna be by your side…from now on…You have to do this…with the others…I love you, Kiro… I'm sorry…" Song whispered.

"No…I'm sorry…I shouldn't gotten you involved in this! I-I couldn't protect you! I've failed! I'm so sorry! I-I-I love you Song! Don't go…I..." Kiro whimpered.

Song smiled weakly and gasped, then the air slowly drained from her lungs, and she passed on.

_Everyone I care about dies. Sashi, then Los, and now Song... _He thought.

The Five had heard what was going on and were peering outside of their rooms.

Kiro sobbed over his dead girlfriend and turned and looked at them, shaking his head.

_No._ He seemed to say. _Not yet. Don't blow your cover._

"Now you're only focus will be on our cause." Feng boomed.

Kiro slowly put down the limp Song and turned his scarred face and looked at the dragon.

"You…killed the one person… who mattered to me most…MORE THAN THIS STUPID CAUSE!" He shouted.

"I see that you have lost sight of our goal, Kiro." The Emperor hissed.

"After I kill this winged lizard," Kiro spat, pointing at the snake, "I'm coming for you."

Kiro pulled out his Di staffs and whirled them around.

Grandmaster Feng stepped down from his throne and faced the infuriated Kiro.

"RAH!" Kiro yelled as he charged towards the dragon. He jumped into the air and brought his weapon down upon the dragon's skull, sending Feng stumbling back. Kiro elongated his separate staffs and whirled them around, sending beam after beam of power shooting towards the grandmaster. The dragon blocked each shot and blew a massive amount of fire out of his mouth. Kiro twirled his staffs around, forcing the fire away from him. He tapped his staffs together three times and touched the ends to his chest, and he was immediately enveloped in a large, red outline of a tiger. He slashed at the dragon with his arms, and the tiger outline did the same as Kiro. Feng received blow after blow of the tiger's mighty punches sending him stumbling backward. Feng regained his balance and glared at the white tiger. He rushed forward and plunged his claws into the chest of the tiger outline and ripped it apart, sending Kiro plummeting to the ground. Feng whipped his massive tail around and flung the enraged tiger into a stone pillar.

Kiro looked up at the dragon, barely conscious. "This won't be the last time you fight me…"

The dragon smirked. "Throw this traitor into the dungeon. I'm disappointed that the potion didn't work for you, but I'm glad that it worked for the Five and I'm positive that it'll work for the people of this country."

The Wu sisters picked up the defeated white tiger and carried him down into the dungeon.

*With Po*

Po heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

He looked over and was horrified to see a beaten up and barely conscious Kiro being dragged by the Wu sisters.

"Throw him in this one!" Su said pointing to the cell next to Po's.

Wan and Wing tossed the white tiger into the cell, locked the door, and walked back up.

"Kiro! Buddy, what happened?" Po asked.

"Feng…killed…her…" Kiro panted.

"Who?" Po said worriedly, thinking of Tigress.

"Song…" Came the reply.

_No! Song? No…_

"I'm sorry, Po. I couldn't…get to her in time…" Kiro apologized.

"No, man…It's not your fault…" The Dragon Warrior reassured.

"I fought Feng…but he was too strong." Kiro said.

"Hey, buddy. At least ya tried." Po replied.

"No, Po. I blew my cover! I don't know what to do next! I'm out of ideas." Kiro said, frustrated with himself.

Po simply nodded, however Kiro could not see it due to the stone wall that separated the two.

The two sat there in silence for the rest of the day, thinking about their friend who would never return…


	13. A New Member

**Yikes! Hope you guys liked my previous chapter! Hit over 200 views yesterday! Nice! To be honest, I really didn't decide who to kill off until two days ago. Anyway, here's the next chapter.**

*With Tigress*

_I never fully liked Song, but there is no way that she deserved what she got. That dragon is gonna pay, one way or another…_

Tigress walked out to the grandmaster and looked up at him. "Master, the Five and I would like to train. We're getting restless."

"I'm happy that you're so devoted! Some could learn from you…" The dragon said, glaring at the dungeon door. "Permission granted! You're free to go."

Tigress gathered the others and they went over to the training room, which was near the dungeon door.

"What're we gonna do now, Tigress? Kiro's jailed, Song's gone, and we have no plan!" Monkey asked.

Tigress thought for a moment.

"I have an idea. I have to go see Kiro for a moment." She finally responded.

The master peered out of the training room door and checked her surroundings to make sure nobody saw her. She crept over to the prison door and walked down the stairs.

*With Kiro*

Despite all that had happened in the past few days, Kiro was able to sleep.

He dreamt that he was standing in a grassy field, surrounded by a bright light.

He saw his parents in the distance. "Mom? Dad? GUYS! OVER HERE!" He called out.

His parents turned and smiled at Kiro, then faded into the bright light.

"What the heck is going on?" The white tiger wondered out loud.

"Hey Kiro!" He heard a feminine voice behind him say.

"Sup, dude?" He heard a deeper voice add.

Kiro turned and saw Los and Sashi standing before him. "GUYS!" He yelled.

Kiro sprinted towards his friends and lunged for them, preparing to tackle them to the ground in happiness. Instead, however, he passed right through them and hit the ground.

"Ow! What…?" He said.

"We're still gone, Kiro. You can talk to us, but you won't be able to touch us." Sashi explained.

"Yeah, man. We just came to say 'hi' is all." Los added.

Kiro's mouth hung open in shock.

"Close your mouth, kid. You'll attract flies." Los joked.

"Kiro, two very important people want to see you. Oh! Here's the first one now! Gotta go!" Sashi said.

"NO! WAIT! I MISS YOU GUYS! DON'T…" Kiro yelled, but his friends had already faded away. "…go."

The white tiger sighed and sat down in the field, putting his head in his hands.

"Your emotions are flooding through your mind like rapid waters, Kiro." An old, weary voice said.

The tiger looked up and saw a very old turtle standing before him.

"Master Oogway, please explain to me what is going on!" Kiro demanded, standing up.

"Ah, calm your mind, my young pupil, and all will be revealed." The tortoise said.

Kiro breathed in and out multiple times until his heartbeat was slower and his mind was calm.

"Very good. Now, I will explain what you are doing here. You are in a vision. Surely you have had one before, hm?" Master Oogway stated.

Kiro nodded his head.

"Well, people from your past have been visiting you in this, am I correct?"

Kiro nodded again.

"Each one holds a significance. Your parents symbolize your loneliness, your friends are the reckless and crazy part of you, and I am the wiser part. The part of you that is sensible. Now, the sensible thing to do is to not give up in situations like these, but to keep going for the things in life that you still have!" The turtle explained.

"What would those be?" Kiro said flatly.

"Oh, I'm surprised! Your friends of course! Master Shifu! The Jade Palace! The Valley of Peace! China! All of these things are still present in your life. However, these are all put at risk if you choose to give up."

"How can I keep going without Song, though? She was more than likely the most important thing in my life! They took her from me!" The white tiger retorted.

"Well, that's for her to answer. I will always be there for you, Kiro, just like I am with Shifu. When you need me most, I will help you. Good luck, and goodbye!" Oogway finished, walking towards the white light before disappearing."

Kiro could feel another presence close to him. He turned around and saw Song standing a few feet away from him.

"Hey." She said.

The white tiger was frozen.

"Well, don't just stand there you idiot, say something!" She laughed.

"I…" Kiro choked.

"Well, maybe this will get you to talk." Song said, walking up to him.

She gently kissed Kiro on the cheek, but the white tiger didn't feel anything.

Song was a ghost, just like the others.

"I couldn't save you… I-I just was too slow…I-I…It should've been me…I…This is my fault…You shouldn't be here!" Kiro stumbled over his words.

"Kiro, its fine! Really it is, but you've got to move on! Your friends need you! You have to keep fighting if you don't want them to join me here!" Song said, reassuring her grieving boyfriend.

The tiger nodded his head solemnly.

"Now, you have to listen to me, alright? There's another prisoner trapped in this dungeon. She's even better at kung-fu than I was! If you want to win this thing, you need her help! Her name is Mei Ling." Song explained.

"Alright. I'll do it. I'll free her." Kiro said weakly.

"I know what your future will be like, Kiro. When the time comes, you will have to make a huge sacrifice. I know that you'll be able to, though, because you were born to be a hero."

The white tiger smiled and looked at his ghostly girlfriend.

"Bye, Song." He whispered.

"Bye, Kiro. Wake up now! You got a visitor!" Song stated, before running into the bright light.

*With Tigress*

"Kiro! Wake up! Kiro! Come on! You're never THIS hard to wake! Get up!" Tigress hissed.

Her friend snapped his eyes open. He rolled over and looked at Tigress.

"Geez, I had the strangest vision. It was good, though. Probably the best one I've had." He murmured sleepily.

"Tiger, I need to ask you about your staffs!" She stated.

"What about 'em?" He yawned.

"When you're in that glowing figure that you can summon, do you have to have the staffs in your hands to keep it?" She whispered.

"Nah, ya don't. I just like to have them with me. Why?" Kiro replied.

Tigress grinned. "You'll see."

*With Kiro*

"Ti?" Kiro heard Po yawn.

_Guess he was asleep also._ Kiro thought.

Tigress went over to talk to Po, while Kiro thought about his vision.

*Kiro's flashback*

_When you need me most, I will help you…_

_Her name is Mei Ling…_

*End of flashback*

"Hey!" Kiro hissed. "Is there a Mei Ling in here?"

Nobody answered.

"Hello? Mei Ling? Anybody there?" He repeated.

A black and brown feline peered through the bars and looked at Kiro. "How do you know my name?" She asked.

"You don't wanna know. You'd think I'm crazy." He replied.

"I already do. How do you know my name?" She stated.

"I had a vision. A…friend told me to look for a Mei Ling and that she could help us defeat Feng." He answered.

"I see. Who are you?" She asked.

"Geez, ya ask a lot of questions. My name is Kiro Takimuro. I'm with the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior."

"The Furious Five?" She asked. Her eyes widened.

"Yeah. Why?" He questioned.

"Do you know a Master Crane?"

"Stop responding to my questions with questions!" He retorted. "Yeah, I know him. WHY?"

"I'm the one who encouraged him to quit being a janitor and take up kung-fu!"

Kiro's eyebrows raised. "Congrats. He's saved my butt a few times. He also threw me in jail once, but that's a different story."

"Who are you talking to, buddy?" Po said from the other side of the wall.

"Mei Ling." Came the reply.

"What? We threw her in jail! She tried to steal the Emperor's jewels!" Po stated.

"I did no such thing!" Mei Ling snapped.

"Is she short? Like, Master Shifu short? Does she have a red coat?" Po asked.

"Nope, she's tall with a brown and black coat." Kiro responded.

Tigress nodded. "She's not the one that we threw in prison. I'll see if I can get Viper down here to pick your locks. Looks like we have a plan again."

"Wait, I must have missed that. What plan exactly?" Po asked.

"I'll explain later." Tigress replied, running off.

"So, how would you feel if you joining up with us to fight that fire breathing lizard, huh?" Kiro asked, smiling.

"I'd like that a lot." Mei Ling replied.

_Sweet. Looks like we're back in business._ Kiro thought.

**I know! Not a lot of action in this one! I had to add this one in, though, for a couple of reasons that you'll see later in the story! That's all for now! Signing off. More to come…**


	14. Escape

*With Po*

Tigress walked back down the prison steps with Viper right behind her.

Once at Po's cell, Viper stuck her tail in the key hole and started working.

"Hm, these locks are a bit tricky, but I should be able to crack them with no problems." She said.

"Ah! Finally! It'll be great to move around again!" Po sighed.

"I hear ya. I haven't seen sunlight in a while. I'm starting to lose my tan…" Kiro added, rubbing his white coat.

Po heard Mei Ling snort a few cells down.

"Hey! It's true you know!" Kiro shot.

Once Viper had unlocked Po's cell, Tigress flung it open and rushed in, grabbing Po in a bone crushing hug.

"Now… I know…what Kiro…feels…like." Po choked.

"Doesn't it feel great, though?" The white tiger said sarcastically.

Viper picked the lock on the cricket's cell.

"You have to sneak out of here and wait in the mountains. Be looking for us. If we call out for you, run and get help. Got it?" Viper instructed.

The cricket nodded and hopped off.

Viper slithered over to Kiro's cell and squinted at him.

'I know, I know. Not a word.' Kiro mouthed.

The snake nodded and began to work on his lock.

"Listen, Vi. We need to get that girl down there out of her cell, too. She's the only other one in here, but we need her for our fight." Kiro explained.

"Why?" She asked.

"Vision I had. Don't worry about it. Her name is Mei Ling."

Viper nodded again and finished picking the lock.

Kiro's door swung open and he stepped out.

"Ah, the sweet taste of freedom. I missed you so!"

"Ti and I will go back up with the others, alright?" Po said.

"Sure, go on ahead! We'll catch up." The tiger said confidently.

Po smiled and ran up the steps with Tigress close behind.

*With Kiro*

Kiro waltzed over to Mei Ling's cell and rested his arms on the bars.

"So, what brings you here on this fine, dark, cold, dreary day?" He asked.

"Come on," Mei Ling smiled, "Let me outa here."

"Vipe, do your thing!"

Viper slithered over and whipped the tiger on the arm with her tail.

Kiro sucked in a gulp of air and slowly let it out, making a pained face.

"You didn't have to do that!" He seethed.

"I know."

She set to work picking the last lock.

"So, are you part of the Furious Five?" Mei Ling asked, looking at Kiro.

"Actually, I—"

"Not yet, but he will be. We need to get out of here before he can be inducted." Viper cut in.

Kiro's jaw dropped. "Say what?"

"Did I forget to tell you? Master Shifu had already scheduled you to be inducted into our group in a couple of weeks. You ran off before we could tell you, though.

The white tiger slapped his paw to his face. "You've gotta be kidding me…"

"What would you guys call yourselves then if there were six of you?" Mei Ling asked.

"I have no idea…" Viper replied, thinking about it.

The lock snapped open, and the mountain cat stepped out of her cell.

"Thank you for freeing me." She purred.

"Yeah, no problem! It's what us heroes do!" Kiro said, sticking out his chest.

_Song was right. I needed to get over what happened. I'm a lot happier now. Thanks, babe!_

"Where do you think YOU'RE going?" Su Wu taunted as she and her sisters stepped out of the stairwell.

"Aw, come on! Everything was going so smooth!" Kiro complained. "Mei Ling, meet the scumbag sisters. Scumbag sisters, meet Mei Ling."

"We've met." The mountain cat said, gritting her teeth.

"Oh, I almost forgot. You wouldn't happen to have my staffs would you? I'd really like them back." Kiro said to the Wu sisters.

"You'll never get out of here alive!" Wan hissed.

"That's fine! Ignore what I just said! I don't care!" The white tiger said, raising his arms in the air. "I'll say it again. Can I have my staffs back? Pretty please?"

"No. Shut up, tiger." Wing spat.

"That's the problem with all of you bad guys. You're sense of humor is shot! You need to laugh more." Kiro said, leaning against a wall.

"ENOUGH TALK! ATTACK!" Su shouted.

The Wu sisters lunged at the three warriors.

Viper engaged with Wing, Mei Ling fought with Wan, and Kiro took on Su.

Viper easily dodged Wing's punches and wrapped herself around the Wu sister's arm, making her punch herself in the face.

"Why're you hitting yourself? Why're you hitting yourself?" The snake taunted.

Viper picked up the feline and threw her against a stone pillar, knocking her out.

Meanwhile, Kiro was furiously defending Su's attacks.

"You can't lay a finger on me! Haha!" He taunted.

Su swiped at his head, but Kiro ducked and brought her head down on his knee, sending the Wu sister stumbling back.

Kiro tore off a rusty bar from one of the cell doors and whirled it around. "A sad replacement for my Di staffs, but it'll have to do."

He swiped Su's legs out from under her and slammed the bar into her gut, knocking the air out of her.

"Bad kitty! Time for your nap!" Kiro jeered.

He brought the pipe down on her head, knocking her out cold.

Mei Ling was on the offensive against Wan. She blocked two of her enemy's punches and kicked Wan in the chest. Mei Ling then leaped over Wan, holding her attacker's arms, and flipped the Wu sister over her and slammed her into the ground. The mountain cat then picked up her enemy and threw her against the same stone pillar that Viper threw Wing at, and Wan crumpled to the ground unconscious along with her sister.

"I hate to steal Po's line, but that was awesome." Kiro said, walking over to Mei Ling.

Before she could thank Kiro, lots of bells sounded upstairs.

"Oh, that can't be good." The mountain cat murmured.

"Let's get the others and get outa here!" Viper yelled.

They ran upstairs.

*With Tigress*

Tigress had finished explaining to the others about their plan and when they were going to take action when the alarm went off. Bells were ringing everywhere and guards were running around, grabbing their weapons and rushing to their battle stations.

"Never mind. We'll revise the plan later. Right now we have to leave." Tigress stated.

The others nodded and gathered what little that they had and ran out of their rooms.

Tigress looked over and saw Viper, Kiro, and Mei Ling running for the door also.

She shot Kiro a glance that said 'What the heck happened?'

The white tiger just shrugged his soldiers and smiled, continuing to dash of the exit.

Feng noticed the escapees. "GUARDS! CRIMINALS! STOP THEM!" He roared.

Minions with cross bows lined up on a ledge and let loose a storm of arrows.

Tigress saw Kiro run over to a weapons rack and grab his staffs off of the shelf.

They dodged the arrows raining down on them and ran out of the cave with enemy's right behind them.

Kiro jumped in the air, elongated his staffs, and shot beams of electricity at the cave entrance, creating a rock slide that trapped the crooks inside.

"MAN I MISSED THESE THINGS!" He laughed as he and the others raced towards the top of some mountains.

*With Kiro*

Once they finally reached a mountain top a little ways off of the cave entrance, the group of heroes set their stuff down and rested.

"Let's…not…do…that…again." Crane stated.

"Agreed…" Po said.

"Why…? I thought…that…that… was fun." Mei Ling said.

_Oh, we're gonna get along just fine, her and I. _Kiro thought.


	15. One Down

*Later that day, evening*

After the group had settled in for the night, Crane and Mei Ling went off and started talking about the old days and what each of them had been through. The others gathered around a fire to keep warm.

"They sure do talk a lot…" Viper muttered.

"Viper's jealous! I wouldn't think that you of all people would be like this." Monkey joked.

"Yeah! She's GREEN with envy!" Mantis chimed in.

The two howled in laughter as Viper glared at them.

Kiro reached over and lightly shocked the two with his staffs, and the bug and chimp stopped.

"How ya doing, buddy?" Po asked, looking at Kiro.

"I'm fine! Nice and warm fire, back with my friends, life is good right now!" He answered, dodging Po's actual question.

"That's not what I meant." He replied.

The tiger sighed. "I'm fine, thanks for asking. Much better after I talked with some old friends."

After a little while, Crane and Mei Ling came back over to the group.

"Crane filled me in on all of you guys. Very interesting and quite amazing stories about you all. Especially you, Dragon Warrior." Mei Ling said. "However, he couldn't tell me much about you. What was your name again?" She asked, looking at Kiro.

"Kiro Takimuro." He said stalely.

Everyone but Mei Ling knew that he didn't like to talk about himself.

"Cool name. So, what kind of adventures have you had?"

Kiro glanced up at her. "Well, I've fought Sage with these guys and we've trained together for around four years now. I really don't have that interesting of a past."

"I don't buy that. You must get lonely." Mei Ling pushed.

"How so?" He said, disinterested.

"Well, seeing that the only two girls in the group are taken, you must feel alone sometimes. Don't you have a girlfriend?" Mei Ling asked.

The Five and Po sucked in some air and held their breath.

"No, I don't. She's moved on…" He replied.

"Sorry to hear that. Well, if ya need a friend, I'm here!" She said cheerfully, oblivious to Kiro's darkened mood.

The white tiger nodded. "Thanks. I need to get some sleep. We've got a big day tomorrow."

He stood up and walked inside his tent for the night.

"What did I say wrong? I shouldn't have asked him about companionship, huh?" She asked.

"Well, Kiro's girlfriend…She was killed by Feng a few days ago…" Tigress filled her in.

"Oh. Oh no, I didn't mean to pry that far. I-I didn't mean to go—" Mei Ling sputtered.

"It's fine. I'm okay. I just needed to take a moment." Kiro cut in, standing in the shadows.

"I didn't know, though! You seemed fine when we were in the dungeon. I—"

Kiro raised his hand, signaling for her to stop. "I mask my pain sometimes by joking. There was no way that you could've known. However, if you want my forgiveness, I forgive you."

The mountain cat nodded in reply.

"Now, who wants to tell ghost stories?" Kiro said happily, lifting the somber mood.

It was amazing how fast Kiro could change his personality.

*The next day, with Kiro*

Everyone had fallen asleep by the now dead fire.

Tigress was curled up next to Po, Mantis had fallen asleep on Monkey's stomach, Viper had passed out in Crane's hat, which hung beside the avian, and Kiro and Mei Ling's heads were the only thing keeping them from falling to the ground as the slept sitting up.

Kiro opened his eyes and looked at his friends.

_Still asleep. That's cool._

He turned to his right and his face became buried in Mei Ling's cheek.

"WHOAH!" He yelled, startled and embarrassed as he fell off the log, hitting the ground with the mountain cat starting to fall also.

Kiro stuck out his hand and caught the cat before she could slam into the ground.

Everyone woke up and looked around and saw Kiro lying on the ground with his hand supporting the drowsy and confused Mei Ling.

"What happened?" She mumbled.

"Don't worry about it. It's fine. Just got startled is all." Kiro replied.

"Startled?" Tigress yawned. "Startled by what?"

"Bad dream." The white tiger replied quickly.

Tigress raised an eyebrow, not believing him, but decided not to question further.

Once everyone had gotten ready, they gathered around to discuss their plan.

"I have an idea." Kiro stated. "I'll sneak back into that gauntlet of criminals down there and steal their potion book. I'll use that to my advantage, creating something that will make the criminals work for us! My first test subject will be that slime ball of an emperor."

*Later that day*

Kiro was able to find a way in to the dragon's lair through a small crevice in the Emperor's bedroom.

_How ironic._

He snuck past the guards and made his way down into the dungeon.

_Let's see what we have here…_

He flipped through the pages, searching for any potion that he could use.

_Here we go…_

He tore out a page for the Ja-Kin potion, which would bend people to do whatever you told them to.

He quickly mixed together the ingredients and waited in the Emperor's chambers for his soon to be captive.

*A few hours later*

The Emperor slithered into his chambers to get some rest when he was suddenly grabbed by his neck.

"Happy to see me again?" Kiro whispered.

"Kiro… please… be rational…" The snake choked.

"Oh, believe me, I am."

Kiro popped the cork off of the vile of Ja-Kin and forced the drink down the snake's throat.

The Emperor coughed and sputtered after downing the drink.

"You will turn yourself in and confess what you have done. You'll collect all of the evidence against you and present it before the people of this country. You will also sneak out tonight without getting caught and never return here. You will not speak a word of this to anyone." Kiro commanded.

The snake, who was already under the potion's effects, slowly nodded his head.

The white tiger smiled and quietly exited the cavern.

"It's done." He replied when he got back to their camp. "He won't be interfering with us anymore."

"Good. Now all we have to do is wait until nightfall for all of us to sneak in. That's when we make our final move." Tigress stated.

**GAH! THE LACK OF ACTION! IT BURNS! I know that this chapter wasn't as exciting as some others, but again, it was necessary for a later part. Anyway, hope that you guys enjoyed! Leave a review if you did! Always appreciated more than you know! More to come…**


	16. The Final Showdown, Part One: Rematch

**To make up for the lack of action in the previous chapter, here is an action packed three parter. Sorry for the boring chapter last time, but like I said, it had to be added. It was also going to be too long if I compiled the previous one into this one, so I decided to split them in two. Here's part one of the three part finale. Part one: Rematch, part two: The Upper Hand, and part three: Sacrifice. Three more chapters after the trilogy chapter, so stay tuned!**

*With Tigress*

Tigress and the others waited until nightfall before they gathered their stuff up.

"Alright. Now comes the fun part. We have to get into the fortress again without being spotted." She stated.

Everyone nodded in agreement. They were all mentally preparing themselves for their final fight with the grandmaster and his minions.

"Kiro, since you've already broken in to Feng's area once, I assume that you can do it again." The tiger said, turning to Kiro.

"Definitely. I know the best place to get in." The white tiger grinned.

"Alright, let's move out." She commanded.

The group set out to infiltrate the gauntlet and end this, once and for all.

Tigress ran up to Kiro, who was leading the others, but was far ahead of everyone else. Vengeance was painted on his face.

"I know that this is personal for you, Kiro, but please don't go insane with revenge!" She said quietly.

"Ti, you know what happened. You know that I can't just throw this guy in jail. I plan to finish this on my terms. Don't plan on stopping me." He responded coldly.

He continued to push forward, leaving Tigress behind with the group.

*With Po*

_How am I going to beat this guy? He's a dragon! I tried beating him once, but he was too strong! Oh, geez…_

"Po," Tigress said as she caught up with him, "I tried to talk to Kiro, but he is bent on taking down Feng himself. I don't want you to let him kill the dragon. It's not how we were taught, so whatever you have to do to capture Feng, do it."

Po nodded, hearing what Tigress had said.

*With Kiro*

_That dragon is going to be sorry that he ever messed with me. He's made this personal…_

Kiro led the group to the medium sized gap in the wall and one by one they squeezed through the space and into the cavern once again. The ended up in the Emperor's bedroom.

"This is how I got in before." Kiro stated.

"Alright. What's your plan now?" Crane asked.

"Well, I was going to walk out there and face Feng with you guys and beat the scum into tar." Kiro said frankly.

Crane laughed a little, but quickly stopped when the white tiger's facial expression didn't change. "Oh, you're serious…"

"Well, it's now or never!" Viper laughed nervously.

"Alright. Whatever happens out there, it's been nice fighting with you all." Kiro nodded.

He looked at the hardened expressions of his comrades and walked out into the throne room with his friends behind him.

"Grandmaster Feng!" The white tiger called out.

His as well as all of the other criminal's heads turned to see the Furious Five, the Dragon Warrior, and Kiro walking towards them.

"My, I thought that you might've run off to get help. A futile effort, though, since the Emperor would have put a stop to it." The dragon boomed.

"Really? As I recall, I made him drink a potion that would make him do whatever I wanted him to, which was turning himself in with all of the evidence against him. But, ya know, my mind is a bit foggy." Kiro jeered.

"I assume that you haven't come to surrender, then…" Feng commented.

"Right you are! In fact, I've come for a rematch!" The white tiger stated.

"And what about you're backup?" The dragon asked.

"Oh, they're not backup! They're here to take your crook army down and, well, ya know, trash your plans!"

"I see. Well, then I guess that there is only one thing to say…" The grandmaster replied.

"And what is that?" Kiro asked.

"ATTACK!" The dragon yelled.

The heroes and villains charged towards each other and collided with an amazing force.

Kiro tapped his staffs together and touched them to his chest, creating the large tiger outline again.

"KIRO! STAFFS!" Tigress yelled.

Kiro chucked his weapons at Tigress who did the same, becoming enveloped in a female tiger outline.

She passed the weapons around, each hero doing the same. Mantis had a giant praying mantis around him, Monkey was in a giant gorilla, Po was in his dragon outline, Mei Ling was in a female mountain lion, Crane was in a giant avian, and Viper was enveloped in a giant serpent outline.

"THIS IS SO COOL!" Monkey shouted.

"WHOOOO! YEAH!" Viper cheered.

"I MUST ADMIT, THIS IS FUN!" Tigress added.

The warriors began their assault on Feng's army, while Kiro took on the dragon on his own.

Kiro's sacrifice was coming.

He was prepared.

He knew what he had to do in the end…

**BOOM! Next chapter will be up soon! Promise! More to come!**


	17. The Final Showdown, Part Two: Upper Hand

**Here's part two of the three part throw down! After this chapter, only four more left in the story! Enjoy!**

The Furious Five were demolishing Feng's criminal army with their red auras.

Kiro lunged at Feng with surprising speed. He bombarded the dragon with a series of shots to the stomach and uppercuts to the chin, sending the giant lizard stumbling back. Feng shot fire out of his mouth at the tiger, but Kiro barrel rolled to the right and slammed the grandmaster's head into his knee.

The dragon rocked back, his vision blurry. Once he regained his focus, he was about to slash Kiro with his tail when a red dragon outline slammed into him.

"THIS IS SEVERLY COOL!" Po yelled.

He turned around and commanded the outline to pick up the dazed dragon with its tail. The red lizard did so, spun around, and launched Feng across the room and into a stone wall.

"Excellent work, Po!" Kiro complimented.

Feng got up slowly only to see the two warriors running towards him. He was expecting this, however, and caught their fists, lifted them into the air, and threw the two heroes into the ground, making the earth shake.

"Tai Lung failed in destroying you, Dragon Warrior, as well as Shen and Sage, but I will not!" The grandmaster boomed.

The dragon pulled a stone pillar out of its place, making the ceiling rumble a little, and as Po was standing up, Feng slammed the pillar into him, sending the panda flying across the room.

Kiro slowly began to rise, but Feng hurled the end of the pillar towards the tiger's chest, causing Kiro to fall back against the wall. The dragon raised the stone cylinder in the air and brought it down on the tiger outline's head, dissolving the outline and left Kiro falling to the ground, barley conscious.

"I GOT HIM!" Mei Ling yelled as she stretched out her outline's hand and grabbed Kiro before he could hit the ground. Once he was safe, she gently lowered him to the floor and protected him from any oncoming soldiers.

*With Po*

Po slowly got up and saw Kiro lying behind Mei Ling, who was protecting him from harm.

_Well, it looks like I'll have to take another bad guy down. Why do I always have to do these kinds of things on my own?_

"PREPARE TO FEEL THE THUNDA!" The panda cried out as he charged towards Feng.

*With Tigress*

_We can't take down THIS many bad guys on our own. We need help, and I know just who we can ask…_

"I'LL BE RIGHT BACK!" Tigress yelled as she sprinted for the exit of the cavern.

"WHERE'S SHE GOING? WE NEED HELP!" Crane shouted.

"WE'LL GET IT, JUST GIVE HER A MOMENT!" Viper replied.

Tigress ran out of the cave and called out. "Cricket? Hello? Whatever your name is, we need help!"

"Right! I'll go get the Imperial Army!" A voice replied, echoing off of the ledges of the mountains.

Tigress didn't see the bug anywhere, but nodded and ran back inside.

*With the Emperor*

"Your Majesty…" Everyone said as they bowed before the Emperor, who slithered past them with a tube of scrolls slung behind him.

"Do not bow before me, for soon I will not be the Emperor anymore!" He replied.

"Sir? What do you mean?" One of the guards in the city asked.

"What I mean to say is that I'm corrupt!" He hissed.

The townspeople gasped at this statement.

"YES! I'M CROOKED! HERE! VIEW THESE SCROLLS!" The snake shouted as he dumped some documents onto the ground.

"These are treaties and documents dealing with the Emperor and Grandmaster Feng! We've been trying to capture him for years! Nobody has ever been able find him!" A guard exclaimed, reading a scroll.

"Yes! This one lists all of the criminals that the Emperor has personally let go, free of any charges. That's how they kept coming back into society so quickly! Another soldier added.

"Uh, Your Majesty, you're under arrest!" A third commanded uneasily.

"I'm very sorry for betraying the people of China! I had believed that the war on crime was already lost! I know t—" The Emperor cut himself off and he rapidly blinked his eyes. "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS? UNHAND ME! DON'T YOU FOOLS KNOW WHO I AM?" He shouted, the effects of the potion that Kiro gave him wearing off.

"Yes, we know who you are. You're a crooked government official who'll be spending the rest of his life behind bars. Let's go, you royal pain." A soldier sneered.

"KIRO!" The serpent yelled.

As the guards took the fuming snake away, a little cricket hopped up on a crate.

"Excuse me! I need help!" She said.

"Oh? And what seems to be the problem, Miss?" The rhino asked, leaning down to her level.

"The Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior are fighting a lot of criminals in Die Ki Mountains. One of them is a dragon named Feng! They need our help, now!" She explained.

"Feng. Understood, Miss. Thank you. GUARDS! FENG HAS BEEN SPOTTED IN DIE KI MOUNTAINS! READY YOUR WEAPONS AND ARMOR AND MOVE OUT! THERE'S LITTLE TIME!" The soldier shouted.

The Imperial Army quickly got ready for battle and marched towards the mountains.

*With Po*

The Dragon Warrior was thrown across the room and slammed into a wall. His dragon outline has fizzled out and he slumped to the ground and joined his comrades.

Feng's forces had overpowered the Five and Mei Ling and once their auras vanished, they were easy to defeat.

"A valiant effort, but in the end, it was pointless. My only regret about killing you is that you will not be able to witniss China's downfall and the rise of the dragon! However, I'll get over it." The grandmaster boomed.

The dragon breathed in deeply, preparing to unleash a massive amount of fire from his mouth, which would burn the heroes to ashes.

**That's the end of the second part of this trilogy! I might or might not write part three tonight, due to how much homework I have, but if I have time, I'll try! Leave a review telling me what you thought of the chapter and I'll post more very soon. More to come…**


	18. The Final Showdown, Ending: Sacrifice

**Well, here it is! The final part of this trilogy chapter! After this, there will be three chapters left in the story, so stay tuned for more to come! So happy that I hit an all-time high on views with this story a few days ago, being over 230! If you like my story a lot, why not give it a review, favorite it, and/or follow it? It help out more than you know, and it makes me feel happy :). Here it is, the final part, Sacrifice.**

*****With Kiro*

Feng took a deep breath in, getting ready to incinerate the heroes.

Kiro looked over and saw his staffs laying on the ground a couple of inches away. He crawled over to them, using all of the energy he had left, and picked them up.

"You…will…not…kill my…friends." He said weakly.

The white tiger elongated his staffs and shot a couple of beams of power at the dragon, sending Feng stumbling back. Kiro rolled the red ends of his staffs up and down his torso, sending a wave of power through him and rejuvenating him completely. He stood up and faced the dragon once more.

"You could've done that earlier…" Mantis said.

"Hey, I didn't know if it would work or not. It would either send so much power through me that it would kill me, or it would heal me completely." Kiro replied, looking over his shoulder.

"Even if you do stop me, you'll never be able to take on my army." Feng snarled.

"Ah, well, I'll deal with that later." The tiger shrugged. "Right now, it's payback time, dirt bag!"

"So be it." The dragon muttered.

The two lunged towards each other with all of their speed. Kiro slid under the dragon's legs and summoned two metal chains that wrapped around his enemies arms, flinging Kiro into the air and landing on the grandmaster's back. Kiro's staffs glowed bright red as the tiger beat his weapons into his foe's head. Feng's vision went awry and the large lizard rocked back and forth.

"Getting dizzy? Maybe you should lay down!" Kiro jeered.

The tiger summoned two ropes around the dragon's neck and flipped over Feng, sending the grandmaster flying in the air, over Kiro, and slamming into the ground.

Just then, a loud battle cry rang through the cavern as the Imperial Army stormed the cave.

"Looks like I won't have to take down your little army! The cavalry has arrived!" Kiro exclaimed.

The enemy army and the large group of rhinos met and began to fight and enemies and allies went flying in every direction. With the Wu sisters too weak from their fight with Mei Ling, Viper, and Kiro, they were easier to beat.

The white tiger hopped off of Feng and started to walk away, but the dragon slowly got back up.

"We're not done yet. I'll…never give up. You're as good as dead." The grandmaster muttered.

"Well, that's good, because even if you wanted to surrender, I wouldn't have let you! You still have a price to pay, Feng!" Kiro snarled, turning back around.

Kiro tapped his staffs together and slammed them into the ground, sending a shock through the ground and up into Feng. The dragon fell to his knees and caught himself from dropping to the ground with one hand. The tiger then summoned thousands of rocket carts and launched them towards his foe. A loud explosion went off as the carts hit their target. Feng flew across the room, knocking Imperial soldiers and crooks out of the way, and hit the wall on the opposite side. He flapped his wings and lifted up into the air, flying over Kiro and landing by his allies.

"One more move and these two…" Feng picked up Po and Tigress, "…get crushed."

Kiro fidgeted in place. _What do I do? I can't let them be killed, but I need to take down this guy! Wait a second… inner peace!_

The tiger breathed in and out deeply until the world slowed down around him. He opened his eyes and saw the looks of terror on Tigress and Po's faces, the worried Five and Mei Ling, and the dragon's victorious smile. Enemies and Imperial soldiers moved slowly and all was silent around him.

_Search for a weak point… There it is!_

Kiro spotted an abnormal part of Feng's arm that was holding his friends captive. A piece of skin dangled from Feng's arm, making it look like that there was a piece of bone missing.

The white tiger quickly elongated his staffs and shot five beams of electricity at the weak point.

The world returned to its normal speed and Feng howled in pain as the bolts of power hit their mark. He dropped the two heroes and grabbed his sore spot. Kiro summoned two metal wires that wrapped around his foes arms and flung him across the room and into the ground.

The tiger ran back over to his friends and knelt down beside them. "Hey, you guys alright? Everything good?"

Tigress nodded. "Yes, thank you."

Po grinned. "Yeah, we would be pancakes right now if you hadn't done that. Speaking of which, after this maybe we could go out and eat s—"

Tigress clapped he paw over Po's mouth, silencing him.

"Finish this." Was all she said.

"I plan to." Kiro stood up and looked at the others. "It's been an honor. I'm sorry for everything that I've done."

The heroes looked at each other with confusion as Kiro ran back towards Feng.

Kiro summoned two metal chains, which wrapped around his foe's body and arms and around Feng's neck. The tiger hopped on the back of the grandmaster's neck and began to pull.

"This way, dragon! Hyah! Whoah, boy. Whoah!" Kiro joked as he pulled Feng closer and closer to his destination.

"HEY, KIRO'S ABOUT TO FALL INTO THAT MAGMA PIT!" Crane yelled.

Sure enough, the two edged closer and closer to the large pit of lava of which Song used to hang over.

"KIRO, NO!" Everyone yelled.

"Come on, Feng. Let's you and I go for a swim." Kiro snarled.

The white tiger gave one last yank on the chains that bound his enemy, and Grandmaster Feng and Kiro Takimuro went over the edge, hurtling towards the magma pit.

*With Po and the Five*

The group of heroes ran over towards the edge of the lava, but heard a splash before they got there. The Five, Mei Ling, and Po looked over the edge in horror and sadness as they saw the ripples of magma from the point where Kiro and Feng had entered.

Nobody came back up.

Kiro's Di staffs lay at the top of the pool of lava, floating by themselves.

Kiro was gone.

He had made his great sacrifice.

"Come on, let's…fish out…h-his…staff…s…" Viper said as she began to sob.

Everyone in the group was crying, even Mei Ling, who didn't even know Kiro that well.

Tigress continued to look down at the pit of magma, staring at the floating weapons.

A tear ran down each side of her face.

**That's the end of the third part of this chapter! Hope that you all enjoyed it. Sad ending to this one, I know. Leave a review of what you thought of the chapter and what you think will happen next. I'll see if I can write more tomorrow, so stay tuned for more. More to come…**


	19. Homecoming

**Hey guys, what's up? Hope you guys liked the last chapter, besides the fact that Kiro got offed. Anyway, after this chapter, there will be two chapters left in the story! Enjoy…**

The Imperial Army arrested and jailed all of the guards and criminals that were apart of Feng's plan. Until they could find a new leader of China, the crooks would rot in jail and await their sentences.

Once the group of heroes fished Kiro's staffs out of the pool of magma, they glumly started to return home. They passed through multiple cities on their way back with people cheering in the streets and partying, due to the head of the criminals being defeated. However, the citizens stopped when they realized that the group of heroes was missing one.

*A few days later*

Master Shifu waited for the group to return.

Once the group had arrived, the master ripped them apart. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW WORRIED I'VE BEEN? NO NOTE OR ANYTHING! YOU ALL JUST LEFT! EXPLAIN YOURSELVES!"

Each of the Five explained parts of what happened, from Kiro's kidnapping to Feng to stopping him. They each did this with glum expressions.

"Ah, I see." The red panda said, calming down. "Where is Kiro? I wish to speak with him about the induction."

"Master, he's…" Viper said quietly, holding out the Di staffs, "…not coming back. Feng is dead, but Kiro went with him…"

"I…see. I will have to inform the villagers of this matter. We must restore his name. I will not allow a fine warrior's name be tarnished by a few mistakes." Shifu murmured.

The old master slowly exited the palace and walked down to the village to announce the situation.

*A few weeks later*

Kiro and Song's funeral had already passed, and once the people of the valley had been notified of Kiro's story, everyone showed up to the warriors funeral. A large, stone statue of Song fighting by the side of the white tiger stood in the town square. It showed Kiro with his staffs protecting his girlfriend while Song was about to flip-kick an enemy. Kiro's staffs were placed inside of the statue's base, surrounded by cement and a piece of glass so citizens could see the ferocious weapons.

Tigress and the others went to visit the structure every day for a while, but soon only Tigress visited the statue.

The Ladies of the Shade also visited it every day and elected a new leader who took up Song's legacy. She continued to lead the girls into work, however every new member had to learn about their once great leader and her tragic end.

As for Mei Ling, since she had nowhere else to go, she stayed with Po and the Five in the Jade Palace. Everyone welcomed her and she was more positive than Viper, if that was possible.

All was well in the Valley of Peace, but for months past and months to come, a dark cloud would hang over people's heads.

*With Po*

_Kiro's death has hit Ti the hardest. I guess that's because he almost died twice. Both times she thought he was gone, but this time he actually is. I gotta go talk to her, maybe cheer her up some…_

Po lumbered over to Ti's room and knocked lightly on her door.

"Come in…" She said hoarsely.

Po entered into the warrior's room and shut the door behind him.

"How ya doing, Ti?"

"Well, I'm doing pretty well. We had a hard day of training, that's for sure." She responded.

"What about, well, you know…" Po said.

"I just can't believe that he's gone, Po. I just anticipate him to walk back into the palace saying, 'joke's on you guys, I'm not dead! Got ya!'" She chuckled sadly.

"Ti, Kiro wouldn't want you to be like this. He had to move on when Song was killed, and now you have to move on." Po reasoned.

Tigress just stared at the floor. "I know, Po, I just need some time to think. He was my best friend since I was a child."

The panda nodded and kissed his girlfriend on the head, then turned and exited the room.

*In the black marketplace*

"Excuse me," a bunny said, hopping up to a merchant's stand, "Do you have any Qu-Win-Tang restoration potions? My wife isn't looking as young as she once was and she wants me to get something to make her look better."

"Sorry, but I sold my last one about a half hour ago. Some shady looking guy picked it up, but he left a big payment, so I don't care!" The shop owner replied.

"Darn! I was hoping to find SOMETHING! Oh well, I'll keep looking. Thanks anyway!" The rabbit replied before he hopped off into the night.

**Sorry for the short chapter, but I've got a basketball game to go watch at my school! I'll post more this weekend! Leave a review if you enjoyed! More to come…**


	20. Nine Lives

**Hey guys, just thought that I'd write the next to last chapter of this story. Hope you guys are enjoying it so far, and if you aren't, why are you still reading the story? Why waste time on reading something you hate, hm? Anyway, enjoy the next chapter, Nine Lives…**

*A couple of weeks later, with Tigress*

Tigress had finally pushed past her experience with the gauntlet of criminals and Feng and decided to go into the village and look for Po. Chances were that he was in Mr. Ping's noodle shop helping out for the day.

_I haven't had lunch yet, so I'll eat there. Maybe I'll have some dumplings also._

Tigress walked down to the village and entered Mr. Ping's shop, which was surprisingly empty since it was a little past lunch time.

"Master Tigress! What a pleasant surprise! Sit down and I'll whip up a bowl of noodles for you." The goose called from the kitchen.

"Thank you, Mr. Ping. May I also have a bowl of three dumplings? I haven't had lunch yet." She responded, taking a seat towards the kitchen area.

"Got a tiger sized appetite, huh?" Po said, sitting down across from her. "I know the feeling."

"I bet you do." The master replied, glancing at his belly.

"Heh. Yeah…well…How's your day been?" Po stumbled over his words, trying to make conversation.

"Well, it's been fine so far. I had a—"

The tiger was cut off by a cricket who entered the shop.

It was the same cricket that they freed from the grandmaster's prison.

"Hi, nice to see you again." Hira said.

"Hey, what're you doing back here, Hira?" Po asked.

"Well, I was hoping to live here for a while and I heard that this place serves the best noodles in the valley." She said.

"All of China is more like it!" Mr. Ping responded over his shoulder.

"Anyway, after I get some food, I was planning on visiting your palace and thanking the others for saving me." She continued.

"Well, we'd all like that very much." Po responded.

After Tigress ate, she thanked Po and exited the shop, leaving the panda to talk with Hira and began to walk up the Jade Palace steps.

Something, however, made her turn back around.

A gut feeling.

The master turned to see a figure in a black cloak seemingly float over to the statue of Kiro and Song and kneel down in front of it. Tigress saw the mysterious person lay a bunch of tiger lilies at the feet of Song's statue and proceeded to stand up and smash the glass containing Kiro's staffs and took them out of their container.

Tigress became furious. She pounced on the figure in an instant, pinning them to the ground, their face buried in the stone pieces.

"Who are you? Why do you want my friend's weapons?" She snarled.

"Mmmf…mph…mmm." The figure mumbled, their face still buried in the ground.

Tigress got off of the cloaked person and let them get up.

"I just wanted to pay my respects…" A raspy voice responded.

"You didn't have to try and steal Kiro's staffs!" She retorted.

"It's not called stealing if they belong to you." The thief responded calmly.

"What…?" Tigress said, taking a few steps back.

Kiro turned around and pushed back his hood.

(**Author's comment: You mad Tekken?)**

Tigress' vision began to blur and then fainted, crumpling to the ground.

*With Kiro*

"Well, I guess she was surprised to see me." He said to himself.

"Hey, Ti, what's all the commotion out here? I thought I heard glass br—" Po said, walking outside, but stopped abruptly when he saw Kiro.

"Kiro?" He asked in amazement.

"Nine lives, baby!" Kiro said, smiling.

Po also collapsed on the spot.

_Oh, come on! It's not like it's the first time it turns out that I'm not dead!_

Kiro summoned a rocket cart with his weapons, loaded the two warriors in and began to shoot up the stairs.

Kiro heard townspeople coming out of their shops and houses and began to cheer.

"KIRO'S BACK!"

"YEAH!"

"HE'S ALIVE!"

The white tiger smirked as he rocketed up the stairs, leaving the people below roaring with happiness.

*With Shifu*

A knock sounded at the door.

"Students, would you mind answering that?" The old panda said.

The masters nodded and walked over to the door.

When they opened it, all of their mouths dropped open and everyone but Crane passed out.

"Master…" Crane called.

Shifu walked over to the door and his eyes widened.

Kiro was standing in the doorway with Po and Tigress in a glowing red outline of a wheelbarrow.

"Hello. May I come in?" The white tiger said.

Shifu allowed the tiger to enter, and Kiro wheeled Po and Tigress to the main hall, then doubled back and wheeled the four passed out warriors to the same spot.

Once the others had woken up, Kiro sat down and began to explain his story.

*With Kiro*

"Well, it started out like this…" He recounted.

*Kiro's flashback*

Kiro and Feng toppled over the side, hurtling towards the lava below.

Kiro suddenly remembered what he envisioned.

_I will always be there for you, Kiro, just like I am with Shifu. When you need me most, I will help you._

_When the time comes, you will have to make a huge sacrifice._

The white tiger snapped back to reality.

"Oogway help me!" He called out.

Kiro was suddenly surrounded by a glowing green shield, protecting him but not Feng.

The tiger and the dragon plunged into the lava.

To the his surprise, Kiro didn't feel anything. No burning or pain.

Feng, however, screamed and thrashed around as the lava consumed him. Kiro's enemy was too far down in the pool to swim back up, and soon, the grandmaster was still and sunk to the bottom of the pit.

Kiro was too far down to reach his staffs, but he saw a small opening where the lava flowed.

He swam towards the opening and went down the passageway.

Another thing that surprised Kiro was that he didn't need to hold his breath.

_Thanks, Master Oogway…_

Kiro continued to swim until he surfaced in a hollow part of the cavern. The area was dark and cramped, and the only thing that illuminated the hollow part was a slit of light pierced the rock.

_Freedom…_

Kiro propped himself up against the wall and used his feet to push at the weak rock.

It took all of his strength and a few minutes to finally topple the stone, and the tiger walked out into the sun.

He stood in a green, lush field just outside of the Die Ki mountain range.

"Ah, the light!" Kiro said.

Kiro shielded his eyes until he was adjusted to the brightness. Being in a cavern so long forced his eyes to adjust to the darkness.

His green shield dissolved around him and the white tiger marched towards the black market.

_I need something to cover myself. I don't want a bunch a baddies jumping me because they recognize me as a kung-fu master._

The tiger contacted one of his old friends that helped him go into hiding when Sage had a bounty on his family. His friend, Lung, was able to get a sack of money and a black cloak to cover his body and head.

"Be careful, Kiro. It's been nice seeing you again." Lung said.

"Thanks Lung, hopefully I'll be able to keep in touch." Kiro responded, before he took off.

The tiger then proceeded to the black market to find a Qu-Win-Tang restoration potion to completely get rid of his scars and burns that were on him.

He purchased the last vile, left all of the money that was in the bag, and walked back towards the village.

On his way, he drank the potion and his scars and burns immediately vanished and his white fur grew back in those places.

However, if black magic gives something, it takes something away also.

In consequence, Kiro's dark side reformed inside of him, and Tai Lung was back. This time, however, Kiro was able to lock him up tight and push him to the farthest part of his subconscious, where it would be almost impossible for that side of him to resurface.

Once he got back to his home, he noticed the statue of him and Song fighting side by side that stood in the middle of the village.

"Heh. They got all of the qualities that you had, Song, but they really screwed my face up! I do not look like that!" Kiro said to himself.

To his surprise, Song responded, but from within his mind.

_Well, I don't like what they did with my tail. It seems too thick._ She said.

"Wait, how can you hear me? How are we talking right now?" Kiro said, shocked at the situation.

_I told you, Kiro. I'm apart of you. Always. I'll be in here, with you, forever._ She replied.

"That's SEVERLY SWEET!" He shouted.

Song chuckled._ I would say it is, now you have to go visit your friends. I'd like to see them again, and I imagine you would too._

Kiro nodded. He went over to a field and picked some flowers and walked over to the statue of him and his girlfriend.

"People are going to think I'm nutty when they see me. They'll think that I'm talking to myself." He said.

_Since when do you care what other people think?_ She joked.

"Hey, I cared what you thought about me!"

_True… I guess I'll make that an exception._

Kiro knelt down in front of the base of the stone Song and laid the flowers by her feet. He then stood up, smashed the glass, and took his staffs out.

*End of flashback*

"…and that's when Tigress pounced on me." Kiro said, finishing his story.

"THAT'S AMAZING!" Monkey exclaimed.

"Welcome back!" Viper said cheerfully.

The Five, Po, and Mei Ling rushed towards him.

"Not again!" Kiro exclaimed with a weak smile.

The tiger was crushed with a hug from his friends and pulled to the ground.

"Well, I guess that the induction is back on! I'll tell the townspeople the good news!" Shifu said as he walked out of the palace.

"Hey Song!" Po said as he got off of Kiro.

The white tiger looked up a little. "She says 'hi', Po."

"Sweet!" He exclaimed excitedly.

"We have to get you ready for the induction, now!" Tigress said with a smirk as she pulled her comrade off of the ground.

""I can't wait…" He replied.

**Well, that's the end of this chapter! If already have the final chapter written, so if I get enough good feedback, I'll post the final chapter today! Leave a review if you enjoyed! More to come…**


	21. Induction

**Well, here it is! The final chapter of Kung Fu Panda 4: Gauntlet of Criminals! Hope you guys enjoyed the story! Here's the final chapter…**

*A week later*

The whole town was gathered to see the soon to be member of the Furious Five. Banners and streamers covered the buildings. Decorations, food, games, and music were set up around the center of the village.

"I still haven't figured out what we should call ourselves once Kiro's inducted." Viper said.

"Yeah, that IS an issue." Monkey added.

The Five and Po thought for a little bit, pondering what their new name would be.

"I've got it!" Po exclaimed. "The Sentential Six!"

The group thought about it, tossing it around in their heads.

"Hey, I like it!" Mantis said.

"Yeah, it has a good ring to it." Viper added.

"Good idea, Po. It's not as easy to say as 'The Furious Five', but we're not going to be five anymore, so I guess it doesn't matter." Tigress said, patting her boyfriend on the shoulder.

"Yeah, plus there aren't many words that begin with 's' that strike fear into the bad guys. It rhymes also, so I like it." Crane put.

"NOW, FOR THE INDUCTION OF KIRO TAKIMURO AS A MEMBER OF THE JADE PALACE!" Master Shifu announced.

The townspeople cheered as the white tiger walked up the steps, onto the podium, and knelt down in front of Master Shifu.

Everyone grew silent as they waited for the red panda to speak. The Five, Mei Ling, and Po looked at their comrade and smiled.

"Kiro, do you promise to keep the people of this town safe?" Master Shifu asked.

"Of course, Master. I promise." Came the response.

"Do you vow to protect the valley with your life, as well as all of China?"

"Yes, Master."

"Do you swear to defend your home, your friends, and everyone you care about in the name of justice?"

"Yes, Master. I swear."

Po, Mei Ling, and the Five continued to grin as Kiro made the rest of his promises.

"Then I now officially induct you as a member of the Jade Palace." Shifu said, laying his hands on Kiro's shoulders. "PEOPLE OF THE VALLEY OF PEACE, I NOW PRESENT TO YOU, THE NEW WARRIOR OF THE JADE PALACE!" He announced.

The crowd erupted and jumped up and down. People laughed, danced, and clapped as Kiro stood up and looked out amongst the townspeople.

The warriors from the Jade Palace cheered and clapped their hands, yelling congratulations from the side of the podium.

Kiro stood up and motioned for his friends to get up on the stage with him and Po, Mei Ling, and the Five walked up and looked out at the happy crowd.

"Time to celebrate!" Kiro laughed.

"Welcome to the team, buddy." Po said, giving the white tiger a fist bump.

*A couple hours later*

After fielding questions from the citizens, eating, playing games, and dancing, the warriors said their goodbyes to the villagers and walked back up to the Jade Palace.

"The Sentential Six," Po sighed, "I love it."

"That was fun, but I'm exhausted." Crane said.

"Sleep, it is a beautiful word." Mantis added, exhausted.

The warriors said their goodnights and went to their rooms.

"You had better start unpacking, Kiro." Master Shifu said as the white tiger began to walk to his new room. "You have only tomorrow to get all of your things where you want them and for you to get settled in. After that, you begin your training."

"Without my staffs. Got it." Kiro smiled, then he turned and walked back into his room and started unpacking.

*With Po*

"Panda, may I speak with you for a moment?" Master Shifu asked as Po lumbered off to his room.

"Sure, Master, what is it?" He yawned.

"Follow me. I have something to show you."

The Dragon Warrior followed Shifu to the scroll room and sat down on a wooden bench.

"Po, your greatest challenge is approaching. It will be here sooner than you think." Master Shifu stated as he brought a scroll over to Po.

"But Master Shifu, you told me that I had one more foe to face. Feng is gone, so there should be no one dangerous enough for me to fight!" Po said, confused.

"Po, Grandmaster Feng was Kiro's fight, and only his. Your challenge, however, is still out there. I fear that one of my students is going to be caught in a hard situation due to this new enemy that is coming. I need you to make sure that this student doesn't sway to the other side."

"So, this guy was kind of like in Kiro's situation? They have to decide whether to stay here or go away?" Po questioned.

"Yes, Po, but this time it will not be a matter of talent, like in Kiro's case. This time, it will be a matter of family and heritage. Prepare yourself, Dragon Warrior, your final and greatest challenge awaits you, and it will be here sooner than you think." Shifu said, his face shrouded by the shadows of the night.

_Oh, boy. I don't like the sound of that…_

*With Kiro*

Once the tiger had unpacked most of his things, Kiro went up and laid on the roof of the Jade Palace.

He looked down at the village, which was still celebrating and full of life, and then looked around at his dark, quiet, and calm surroundings.

"It sure is beautiful tonight, huh?" He said.

_It sure is. I love this part of the day. It's so nice and peaceful._ Song said from within Kiro's mind.

"I still can't get over the fact that I can talk to you, even when you're gone. I'm having a conversation with my girlfriend, who now lives in my head! That's weird and awesome!"

_Well, get used to it, buddy. I'll be in here from now on._

"Won't you get bored, though? I mean, I've been in my own head, and it's not that exciting."

_I actually can change my surroundings. Like right now, I'm talking to you while walking on a sandy beach._

"Cool! Would you describe it for me?"

_Sure. Hm, well, there are nice bonsai trees covering this area. Peaches and apples are ripe and are ready to be eaten and are hanging from some other trees. The sand here is warm, but not too hot or too cool. The water is splashing up on the beach calmly. I always loved the sound of the ocean. The sun is setting on the horizon, but its still peeking out from the waves, shining upon this small island. The sky is painted rose and amber colored, and the air smells sweet and nice. Good enough for you?_

"Oh yeah. I feel really relaxed now just after hearing about that. Man, I wish that I could've done that when I was there. Will I ever be able to visit you?"

_Only when you're in deep sleep. When your mind is at rest and you fall into your subconscious, then we'll be able to see each other again and we can, well, hang out!_

"Well, that's a relief. Glad about that!"

While Kiro was talking to Song, he didn't notice Tigress and Mei Ling watching him from their rooms.

They smiled, glad that he was back and happier than ever.

**Well, that's the end of the story. IF YOU LIKED IT, WHY NOT FAVORITE, FOLLOW, OR REVIEW IT? Tell me what you thought of the WHOLE story in the reviews section. **

**LET ME KNOW IF I SHOULD MAKE THE FINAL MAJOR STORY OF KUNG FU PANDA!**

**Hopefully, more to come…**


	22. Author's Note: Next Story Info

**Hey everyone, just letting you guys know that I WILL MAKE THE FINAL MAJOR STORY. However, I have decided that before I do, I'm going to make two prequels that take place before the first movie. The first one will be about the Five, being what happened when they first met and their first mission together. The second one will be about Kiro and his journey starting from the fire in his home to when he met the Five for the first time in Sage's Siege. Let me know what you guys think of this idea! After I finish adding details and correcting spelling/ grammatical errors to this story, I'll start writing the first prequel! Be on the lookout for it! The title will be called ****Kung Fu Panda Prequel 1 of 2: Birth of the Five****.**


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